


Assassin's Creed: Zootopia

by LapisLucius42



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types, Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Death, First Civilization, Friendship, Gen, Moral Dilemmas, Pieces of Eden, Secrets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2018-12-07 23:46:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11634456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LapisLucius42/pseuds/LapisLucius42
Summary: What started as a murder investigation unraveled into something deeper. Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde find themselves in the midst of a secret conflict that will affect life in Zootopia. Along the way, the two slowly realize what they perceive to be black and white is actually more gray.





	1. First Blood

**Author's Note:**

> The conversations between the Templars and the Assassin after the assassinations occur in eagle vision since there is no Animus simulation. Unity introduced that idea where the memories are seen after the assassinations. I tweaked it to where these conversations occur instead since I enjoy those more IMO. 
> 
> This was originally on Fanfiction and also my very first Zootopia fic back in April 2016. For those who have read Zootopian Assassins by CaptainPrice79. This was the story that inspired his.

Target: Male Raccoon

Occupation: Reporter for ZNN

Location: Downtown Zootopia

Time: Night

The Assassin, a male predator, sat on the top of a building, looking down below at the streets. He pulled his eyes away briefly to the open manila folder in his paws that contained a picture of a male raccoon. The raccoon is a renowned reporter for the Zootopia News Network, but he also carries a dark secret. The reporter is a member of the Templar Order and as a result, the Assassin marked him for death. But simply being a Templar was not the only reason. The Assassin learned of the raccoon's current investigation that warranted intervention. If the reporter were to the discovery, the Assassin, along with Zootopia, would be doomed. After days of tracking the target and making preparations, the circumstances were finally ripe. According to the schedule the Assassin procured, the raccoon is to be at his current location tonight. Finishing one last review, he closed the folder and waited patiently for the target to arrive.

At 12:08 AM, the raccoon finally appeared, and the Assassin climbed down from the building. On the ground, he began tailing the Templar from a safe distance. Night gave the Assassin a better environment to work in but made tails more difficult with almost no mammals around for him to hide in. Extra precautions were also taken since the Templar is also a nocturnal mammal. During the tail, a red light intersection forced the Assassin to stop briefly, but it lessened the chance of him being discovered. The light finally turned green for his lane a minute later and the Assassin crossed to the other side. In the middle of the intersection, lights shined brightly on him and he heard the sound of a screeching vehicle growing louder by the second. He snapped his head in the direction of the lights and sound to see a police cruiser fast approaching, trying to brake. The cruiser managed to stop just in time, almost hitting the Assassin.

A female voice was immediately heard from the cruiser. "Sorry about that!"

A male voice came soon after. "Me too. My partner wasn't focusing on the road!"

The Assassin raised his paw up to signal he was okay. "No worries!"

While walking away, he heard a conversation from inside the cruiser about the near collision with a pedestrian before the officers drove away. The Assassin smirked and chuckled at what he could hear but remained focus on the mission. Despite wanting to remain silent, not responding to the police would have drawn suspicion. Thankfully, the encounter did not scare off the raccoon. He hoped it caused the reporter to let his guard down by thinking the police stopped him for suspicious behavior. Eventually, the raccoon paused to check his current location. The Assassin stood across the street from him and feigned a phone call with his cell to avoid suspicion. The raccoon then entered a nearby alley and the Assassin soon followed.

At the alley entrance, he saw the reporter kneeling down to investigate the ground he stood on. While checking, the raccoon discovered a hidden sewer cover from knocking on the ground. Seizing the opportunity and realizing how close the Templar was to making the discovery, the Assassin quietly approached the raccoon and flicked his wrist, a blade appearing from the sleeve. Engulfed in his search, the reporter was unaware of the incoming danger as the distance closed between the two predators. When the raccoon stood up, he was suddenly seized from behind and felt a paw cover his mouth. Before the Templar could struggle, he grunted and felt something sharp enter his back abdominal area. The Assassin immediately released the raccoon and calmly stepped back with the blade covered in blood. The reporter grabbed his wound, gasping in pain as he had trouble standing up.

* * *

 

"I warned you to stay away and gave you ample reason to do so," The Assassin said. "You left me no choice."

"What difference would that make?" The raccoon said, breathing heavily from the wound as he clutched it. "You would have come after me regardless. Am I right?"

The Assassin remained silent.

"I thought so. I was never afraid of you, Assassin. I faced danger and threats throughout my career. The only difference was that you actually fulfilled your threat. I commend you for that."

"Even in low numbers, the Assassins are still a force to reckon with. It only takes one."

"You cannot stop the truth from getting out. All of Zootopia will know what happened here tonight, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. You ironically helped me complete my last mission."

The Assassin leaned down closer to the Templar. "I'm not trying to stop the truth. I do this to send a message, to your Order and to Zootopia. This is only the beginning."

* * *

The predator watched the raccoon stumble out of the alley, weakly calling for help before encountering a female mink and falling over dead in front of her. The mink screamed at the sight and in a panic, saw the Assassin in the alley. She quickly hid nearby and reached for her phone to dial the police.

"911, what's your emergency?" The dispatcher answered.

"Hello...police?" Her breathing was heavy and frantic. "Someone's been murdered...and I think I'm next!"

"Calm down ma'am. What is happening now?"

She slowed her breathing enough to respond. "I'm currently hiding nearby the murder scene, but I don't know how long I'll be safe. Please send help right away! "

"Stay calm. Can you give us your location?"

The mink relayed her location.

"We're sending officers right away, ma'am. Stay hidden and remain on the line. Let us know if anything else happens."

The mink took a deep breath before responding. "Okay."

She remained calm and quiet but still fearful for her life. Moments passed and nothing else happened. The mink wondered why the Assassin did not pursue her since she witnessed the crime. Knowing the risks, the mink took a deep breath and looked in the alley. To her surprise and relief, the Assassin was gone.

Under the sewer cover, said mammal descended down the ladder into the tunnel and followed it to a dead end, hearing the incoming sirens on the way. There, the Assassin removed a block from the side wall to reveal a keyhole. He inserted the blade in the hole and jiggled until a mechanical noise sounded. The wall in front of him descended to reveal the hidden secret: a secret hideout. The wall hid the entrance after the Assassin entered. Inside, he walked to a board where pictures of Templars were posted all over Zootopia. With a marker, he crossed out the image of the raccoon reporter. At the computers, the Assassin accessed the traffic cameras to the location of the murder and the footage revealed the ZPD already on the scene. Sitting back in the chair, he sighed and watched the situation unfold.

"There's no turning back now."


	2. The Message

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly moving the rest of this story over from FF. I did my best to edit the chapter without changing too much of the original.

In Zootopia, anyone can be anything. But for a long time, the city did not always abide by that motto. The Night Howlers crisis exposed that reality and in the aftermath, the city launched a campaign to repair the damages caused by the crisis. Leading the efforts Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, the first bunny and the first fox officers on the force. Through their successes, Zootopia was truly becoming a place where anyone can be anything. The fear and prejudice against predators were frowned upon but still lingered. But when they lose ground in one area, they find another to be expressed. The issue itself and its lasting damages must be solved and healed over time with great effort.

To maintain the recent peace and prosperity and exemplify its motto, a corporation was established to have mammals come together and make technological and scientific advancements for the benefit of Zootopia. Naturally, a predator and prey were the founders and serve as the CEO and COO. The two named the corporation Depolitio, meaning perfection, for the purpose of perfecting the city. Within three years of its existence, the corporation became successful and the city blossomed.

Meanwhile, Judy and Nick's lives have changed for the better since that fateful encounter at the ice cream shop. Foiling Bellwether's plot and Nick joining the ZPD solidified their friendship. The two enjoyed their time as police partners and became the best duo on the force, using their combined skills and knowledge to solve numerous cases. Despite the popularity, Judy and Nick remained humble and preferred living the normal life; satisfied with breaking their own species' stereotypes.

Judy andNick wrapped up another case and reported their success to Chief Bogo. They sat in the same chair in front of the buffalo while he looked over their recent accomplishment.

Bogo finally placed down the documents down and removed his reading glasses. "Hopps, Wilde, congratulations. Another case solved and another job well done. There was no doubt in my mind of your capabilities."

"Thank you, Chief." Judy smiled.

"Anything else you have for us?" Nick asked.

"One last thing: you can either perform nighttime patrol or fill out your reports for this case."

A smirk appeared on Nick's face when hearing the options. "Hmm, it is a difficult choice. Be stuck in a cubicle doing paperwork or be stuck in a cruiser while taking in the nightlife."

Bogo huffed. "Keep that up and you'll end up on parking duty. I'm sure you two share fond memories of it." He continued to glare at him as Nick kept a straight face.

Judy shook her head. Dumb Fox. While outwardly annoyed at Nick's endeavor to get on Bogo's nerves, she secretly enjoyed his wit because it brightens her day whenever she was feeling down.

"We'll go on patrol, Chief," Judy said. "We could use a break from these cases."

"Very well, here's the area. You can turn in your reports tomorrow morning before noon." Chief Bogo assigned them the location. "Now get out."

Judy quickly jumped off the chair and yanked Nick out of the office before he could respond. The sudden pull caused Nick to yelp. Once they were walking away, Nick yanked his arm out of Judy's grip and started massaging it.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"Because the last thing I need is for you to push too many of the Chief's buttons. Again."

His smirk returned. "Does he have a self-destruct button?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Let's just go already."

They exited the building and went to their police cruiser. Judy and Nick entered the vehicle and drove to their assigned location. The two arrived and began their patrol.

"Another day at the office." She said.

Nick leaned against the window. "Yep, but I don't mind if the city becomes quiet for a while."

His comment caused Judy raised her eyebrow. "Oh, getting bored of being a police officer now?"

"No, but these recent cases haven't brought much excitement. Don't get me wrong. We take on some excellent ones, but the Night Howlers did set the bar a little high. It just would be nice to solve another big mystery again."

"I feel you, but sadly those cases are few and far. Especially with how well the city is currently."

"Such a shame." Nick pulled out a pawpsicle and licked the frozen treat.

* * *

 

There were small differences between the day and night patrols. At night, crime increased slightly with fewer witnesses around and are harder to detect under the cover of darkness for officers without night vision or other strong senses.

During Judy and Nick's patrol, there was currently little action going on. Soon, boredom began to overtake Nick and he let out a loud groan.

"Honestly," The fox said. "I thought patrolling at night would at least be different from the day. I'd rather be doing paperwork back at the office right now."

"Aren't you foxes nocturnal?" Judy said. "This is normally when you are active."

"Yes, but normally I'm doing something else with my night."

"You agreed to do this remember?"

Nick smiled mischievously, deciding to have a little fun with Judy to alleviate the boredom. "No, you agreed for us if I recall correctly. I had no say in the matter."

That made Judy upset and caused her to be distracted while driving. "Honestly Nick, I can't believe the nerve of you saying---"

"Watch out!" Nick yelled, quickly sitting up and pointing in front of them.

Judy snapped her head forward to see a mammal crossing the street. She immediately hit the brakes, causing the police cruiser to skid and barely missing the mammal at the last second. The two officers hurriedly rolled their windows down to check the pedestrian.

"Sorry about that!" Judy apologized.

"Me too. My partner wasn't focusing on the road!" Nick yelled.

"No worries!" A male voice responded and safely crossed the street.

"Carrots if you're trying to prove the notion of bunnies being bad drivers wrong, you sure are doing a terrible job at it."

Judy let out a loud growl at his remark and punched Nick's shoulder hard.

"OW!" Nick grabbed his shoulder to massage the pain and was met with Judy's glare.

"You were distracting me so that means you were responsible as well!" The bunny yelled.

"Hey, you should be thanking me for spotting the mammal! Otherwise, this night would have been disastrous!"

Judy groaned and plopped her head on the steering wheel. "Nicholas Wilde, I swear you are the worst!"

Nick simply smirked while reclining in the seat. "I know, but that's why you like working with me."

Judy's anger slowly faded from Nick's humor and she couldn't help smiling. The bunny knew that he liked teasing her. Yet despite trying to anticipate him, she still falls for it. "Alright, I admit this would have disastrous had you not warned me."

"And I probably went too far with my words," Nick conceded. "I blame the boredom that overcame me."

"No doubt. At least something exciting happened during our patrol."

"I don't deny that."

* * *

 

The two continued their patrol and took turns driving when one got sleepy until completing their rounds. On the return trip to the Precinct, the cruiser's radio went off. "All units, all units, please respond. We have a 187." The night shift dispatcher gave the location of the police code in Downtown.

"187? Homicide?" Nick said.

"We were just in that area too." Judy picked up the radio and responded to the call. "This is Officer Hopps accompanied by Officer Wilde. We are en route."

Judy turned the cruiser around and sped to the location of the homicide. Upon their arrival, officers had already closed off the area. While approaching the crime scene, Nick and Judy heard their names being called and saw an officer motioning for them. The two quickly walked over to the officer.

"What is it?" Judy asked.

"Chief wants you two to do the sweep until forensics arrive. He says he'll make the assignments tomorrow but wants an initial investigation done immediately."

The two nodded and entered the crime scene where they saw Chief Bogo waiting for them.

"Chief, what do we have?" Judy asked.

"The victim is a male raccoon. He has a small but fatal wound in his back. We suspect it was a sneak attack from inside the alley but have no further details. There is a female mink who saw the crime and called it in."

"Can we see the raccoon?" Judy asked.

Chief pointed in the direction. "Right over there."

Judy and Nick saw the body lying face down near the wall. With forensics still on their way, the body was exposed for them to see. They saw the wound and blood stain upon closer inspection. Despite seeing more gruesome sights, Judy never got fully desensitized from seeing a corpse and cringed at the sight. Nick, though, had seen corpses on occasion during his hustler days whenever deals go south or betrayal occurs. Compared to others, this was mild for him.

"Wow," Judy said in astonishment. "You wouldn't even notice until it was too late."

"That's the point," Nick said. "This type of murder is meant to be committed unnoticed."

"But it doesn't explain why the culprit would leave the victim out in the open."

"Chief does suspect the crime occurring in the alley so the intention may have for it to remain hidden. Unfortunately for the culprit, it failed spectacularly."

Judy and Nick then visited the mink, who was currently with the Chief. Bogo was trying to calm the mink but with no success. He turned around to see Judy and Nick approaching and the citizens gathering around the scene.

"Hopps, Wilde, will you please take her witness statement. I have to keep the crowds away."

"Sure thing Chief," Nick said.

Bogo then left Judy and Nick with the mink.

Judy knelt down in front of the mink and spoke in an assuring tone. "Ma'am, I know this was very hard for you to experience, but we can't help unless you tell us what you saw."

The mink still had difficulty calming down.

"Maybe a pawpsicle will help?" Nick offered.

Judy snapped her head at him. "Nick!"

But the mink meekly grabbed the pawpsicle and took a few licks, eventually calming down.

"See, I told you," Nick smirked as he pulled out his old pawpsicle. "I'm going to check the body again in case we missed anything."

Judy glared at him before focusing back on the mink. "Will you be able to tell us what happened now?" She had her notepad and carrot pen ready to write down the information.

The mink took a deep breath but still stared at the ground. "I was walking to my home when I passed by the alley. The raccoon suddenly stumbled out and grabbed me, asking for help before collapsing on the sidewalk." The mink became more frantic as she continued. "When I saw the blood on his back, I got scared!"

Judy noticed the sudden behavior change. "Shhh, relax. Did you see anything else? Perhaps the mammal responsible?"

She took a deep breath and slowly calmed down. "I looked in the alley and saw the killer. Standing there. Watching me. I quickly hid and called the police, but I was still in danger for being a witness. When the mammal didn't appear, I took the risk to check. I just had to know why the killer didn't pursue me. Fortunately, the mammal was gone."

"That was very brave of you." Judy complimented, placing a paw on the mink's shoulder. "Can you describe the appearance? This will help with the investigation."

"I couldn't see well since it was dark, but from where I was looking, the mammal appeared to be medium sized, was wearing a hood, and had a long tail."

Judy wrote down the crucial details. "Anything else you can tell us?"

She shook her head.

Judy stood back up. "Thank you for your cooperation, ma'am. We'll find out who did this. Keep the pawpsicle."

She went to Nick who was inspecting the body. "She didn't say specific, but there are enough details to narrow down the list. Did you find anything?"

Nick held out his treat. "Hold my pawpsicle."

Judy took the frozen snack while Nick puts on a glove and carefully padded down the body.

Moments later, he pulled out a white feather stained with blood from the location of the wound. "An odd place for a feather to be. How often do you see birds in Zootopia?"

Judy vehemently shook her head, "No, that's impossible! The mink said she saw a mammal with a long tail."

"Then this must the culprit's mark."

"If so, then why? What's the point of doing that?"

"I don't know." Nick puts the feather in an evidence bag. "But we should be careful."

Judy suddenly had a terrifying thought. "Nick, you don't think that mammal we almost hit on our patrol earlier could be the culprit? The mink described seeing a hood and a long tail. We saw those two features on that mammal."

Nick pondered her words until his ears lowered from that thought. "I hope not. But what are the chances?"

The forensics team finally arrived to perform a proper analysis. Nick handed over the feather to the team, who were grateful for the officer's caution and care. The ZPD and forensics finished the investigation and cleaned up the crime scene. The body was moved to the morgue and all the evidence was taken back to the station. Because the crime occurred late at night and most officers had already gone home, Chief Bogo decided to make the announcement tomorrow morning.

* * *

 

Judy and Nick entered Precinct One the next morning, ready to solve last night's murder. With a few minutes to spare before roll call, they stopped for a chat with their favorite cheetah at the reception desk, who had just consumed another doughnut.

"Morning Clawhauser!" Judy greeted.

He heard her voice and turned to them. "Hey you two! How are you both doing?"

"Ready to tackle the crime from last night!" She said enthusiastically.

"Oh yeah, I heard about that. Chief was not happy being called out before clocking out."

"Well," Nick said amusingly. "It looks I have competition on who can get on the Chief's nerves."

Judy rolled her eyes. "Come on, we have to get to the bullpen before we're late and upset him even more. Catch you later Ben!"

"Nice talking to you both!" Clawhauser said, waving at them.

Inside the bullpen, the officers were discussing last night's murder. Judy and Nick quietly sat in their seat and listened to the conversations around them. Some voicing their excitement while others voicing the concerns. The chatter finally stopped when Chief Bogo entered the room. The officers sat in silence as he walked up to the podium, given the seriousness of the crime.

"Alright. As you know by now, there was a murder committed last night. Currently, the body is at the morgue for identification. Unfortunately, there was little evidence recovered to identify the culprit but there are still have enough to work with. Thanks to Officer Wilde, we now have an important lead that will bring the culprit to justice."

Nick smiled. "Why thank you Chief. It's nice of you to recognize an officer's contribution."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

While not the reaction he wanted, Nick still considered it a win-win.

Bogo revealed a picture of the blood-stained feather. "This feather was found on the victim. Forensics is currently analyzing for its origins. Though I doubt they'll find anything conclusive about the culprit since it's the victim's blood on the feather. Again, we still have something to work with. Given the circumstances, there are several tasks that must be completed before we can properly take action against the mammal. For now, it will be the usual assignments. While doing so, I want you to contain the growing panic. This incident has already received enough publicity as it is. " He put on his reading glasses.

"Fangmeyer and Delgato. Robbery incident at a store in Downtown."

The tigress and lion retrieve their file and left the room.

"Grizzoli and Wolfard. Street racers near a university."

The two Timberwolves did the same.

"Higgins and Snarlof. Car accident in Savanna Central."

The rest of the officers got either patrol or other assignments. After they left, only Bogo, Nick, and Judy were left alone in the bullpen. The fox and the bunny already suspecting what their assignments would be.

"Alright Chief," Judy said. "What do we need to do?"

"Glad you asked Wilde," Bogo flipped a page on the clipboard. "You need to compile a list of suspects from the given descriptions. Retrieve the results from forensics. And finally, check the footage from the traffic cams for additional evidence."

Nick let out a long whistle. "We got our work cut out for us."

"Indeed," Bogo said. "Someone mammal's trying to leave a mark. We'll make sure it's on the ZPD records. Dismissed."

Bogo was out of the room, leaving Nick and Judy behind.

"Did he just try to crack a joke?" Nick asked, exasperated.

"Don't know. Don't care," Judy said, not wanting to waste time. "Let's get to work.

* * *

 

Judy and Nick first checked the footage of the crime scene for more clues to the culprit. Judy searched through the traffic cams while Nick stood by and watched.

"Here we go," Judy said as she found the traffic camera and played it. "Now to see what we can find."

Night made it difficult to make out clear images. The footage revealed the raccoon coming into view and entering the alley. The culprit then appeared, crossing the street and into the alley. There was no action until the moment when the mink encountered the raccoon. The culprit did not come out from the alley the entire recording.

"Strange," Judy said. "Forensics didn't find any trace of the culprit during the investigation."

"That's the mark of a professional right there," Nick said. "Getting away with murder is no easy task, especially around a witness. I'm surprised our assailant here didn't come after her."

"Do you know or see anyone like that?"

Nick shook his head. "These mammals are well hidden. The only reason you encounter them is because you attracted someone's attention or theirs."

"I can't imagine what the raccoon did to deserve this." She turned her attention back to the screen. "Hopefully we discover something important."

Judy rewinded the footage for the best possible angle of the culprit. Once the image was found, she zoomed in on the culprit, but the hood kept the features well hidden outside the witness's description.

"It's no good," Judy said. "We can't see anything with the hood on."

"Not exactly," Nick pointed to the figure. "Look at the outfit. It's not your standard hoodie. The hood is attached to the rest of the attire. It could be a trench coat or a robe."

Judy looked at the attire and understood Nick. "You're right. If we can get a closer look at the attire, we can find out the manufacturer."

"That's where our footage comes in."

"Let me find our dashboard cam." She pulled up a different tab and searched through footage until finding theirs.

"Okay, let's see if it's our mammal," Judy said.

They watched until the moment of the near collision. Judy and Nick saw the mammal jump backwards as a precaution from almost being hit.

"Wow, I'm impressed that we didn't hit him," Nick said.

"Now for a better look," Judy said while zooming in. "We just need to see the appearance."

The lights from the cruiser revealed much of the appearance and confirmed the similarities.

"The appearances definitely match," Nick said. "Can we assume we let a crime-in-progress occur?"

Judy slowly began to panic and her nose started twitching. "Calm down Judy. Other mammals could be dressed the same. Just need to see where this one goes."

She returned to the traffic cameras and browsed for their cruiser. After locating it, they followed it until the encounter. From there, they followed the mammal, hoping to deny their worst suspicions.

Judy's eyes widened when the mammal entered the alley at the crime scene. "We just let a crime-in-progress occur."

"Come on Carrots. How could we have known?"

Judy remained frozen, staring at the screen."Chief Bogo is not going to like this."

Nick turned her face to him, wanting to reassure her. "Hey Judy, look at me. Chief Bogo doesn't need to about this okay?"

Judy immediately snapped out of her trance and nodded. "R-right. He doesn't."

"That's my partner." He released her face. "Now where were we?"

"We were going to check the attire for the manufacturer."

Judy returned to the still image of the culprit on their dash cam. The two inspected the attire for anything significant.

Judy became frustrated. "Ugh! He backed away just enough to avoid us seeing any logo!"

"Again, not all is lost." Nick pointed to the figure again. "Look at the clothing style. Where in Zootopia do you find one of those?"

Judy looked at the frame and realized the same thing. "Nowhere, so it must be custom made. If we can get a sample of the material,"

"We can track down whoever is making them."

Judy looked at Nick with admiration. "Clever fox."

"Why thank you. And don't forget. We know the gender too, remember?"

Judy remembered hearing the mammal speak in a male voice when they apologized. "Perfect! Now we can begin identifying the suspects."

"You get started on that. I'll run by forensics to see if the results are ready."

Judy nodded and got to work while Nick left to get the results. A short time later, the fox returned to their office. Judy heard Nick approaching and turned around to see him with a folder in possession.

"Are those the results from forensics?" Judy asked.

"Yep. It wasn't much so that's why they came back quicker than usual."

Judy took the folder and spent a few moments looking at the results.

"Hmm. Just as the Chief said. The blood belonged to the victim and no other DNA was detected." Judy then looked at the results on the feather.

"According to this," Nick said. "The species is an eagle. But since the blood makes it hard to determine the type. They're still looking into it."

"It still makes our assignment easier. We don't have to search the thousands of mammals traveling in and out of Zootopia."

"I'm sure that would have been fun. By the way, we still need to finish that report from last night. Why don't you work on the list of suspects while I finished that up." Nick proposed.

"Are you sure?"

Nick nodded, "Positive. I should be finished before the noon deadline."

"Thanks Nick," Judy smiled and then began working on the list.

The two spent the entire morning working on their respective tasks. Nick kept an eye on the clock to make sure he had enough time to turn in last night's report. He managed to finish with enough time to submit.

After turning in the report, Nick returned to his and Judy's desk to see two large stacks near the bunny which he assumed to be the list of suspects. The fox stared in disbelief at the size.

"You can't be serious right?"

"I am," Judy said, already searching through the list. "And this is after we narrowed it down from the footage, the gender, and forensics."

Nick pinched the bridge of his snout and sighed. "This is going to be a long day." He looked at the large stack of papers again. "Maybe a long week."

* * *

 

Target: Female Leopard

Occupation: Professor of History and Archaeology

Location: University of Zootopia

Time: Day…One Week Later

She is a long-time professor and well-known in her field. Being a predator was not an obstacle on her path to success. The leopard's expertise in history and archaeology has proven valuable to the Zootopia's collection of knowledge. But she is also a Templar. During her sabbaticals and vacations, the leopard delivered important information to the Order and assisted with their projects. At the same time, she subtly indoctrinates the Templar ideology into her students and to an extent, her colleagues.

Unlike the reporter, the Assassin had more time to prepare the assassination but was also under more pressure to carry it out. The pressure came from the Templars learning of the raccoon's death. It will certainly cause them to take measures in adjusting their plans and making it difficult for the Assassin to carry out more assassinations.

With knowledge of the leopard's schedule, he patiently waited outside the building where she was currently holding a class. Finally, the leopard was spotted leaving the building, having finished the class and was returning to her office. Knowing the path, the Assassin was on the move and focused on when to strike. While he preferred to make the kill outside, the leopard was safe as long as she remained out in the open and away from others and once the feline was inside, it would be near impossible to make the kill. Also at this particular time of day, the flow of students was slow. After assessing the situation, the Assassin made a last minute decision.

While walking, the Templar leopard noticed several mammals wearing hoods. She almost assumed the worst but remembered that the university sold those type of jackets. Still, the feline remained cautious and avoided eye contact unless spoken to directly. Many of her students and fellow faculty either stopped or joined her walk to have a conversation. The leopard made the effort to avoid idling around too long when stopping. Soon, her building appeared in sight and she let out a sigh of relief. But this caused her to lower her guard as the leopard failed to notice the single occupant sitting on the bench near the building. While rushing by the bench, the leopard was suddenly grabbed by the occupant and felt something sharp go inside her abdomen. The Assassin carefully placed the leopard on the bench and carefully released her, revealing a bloodied blade.

* * *

 

The leopard clutched her wound and looked up at the Assassin. "You? I thought we destroyed you."

"A shame this must happen to a feline. I take no pleasure in taking killing my own."

"I knew the reporter's death was no random incident." She coughed in pain. "Your little campaign will destroy Zootopia."

"Just like how you are destroying the youth of Zootopia?"

"Is that what you think?" The leopard scoffed. "You truly are short-minded as they say."

"You are encouraging the youth you teach to persecute others for simply having differences!" He rebuked.

"Differences are the reason for why Zootopia still has troubles. Only look around to see what arises from them. The destruction resulting from the tensions between predator and prey. It would no longer exist in the new Zootopia."

"While I agree on that point, it doesn't make it right to persecute others. Differences are what make Zootopia unique in the first place. It should be celebrated, not suppressed."

The leopard only laughed. "You'll see how true your words are in time, but by then, it will be too late for you to realize that." She exhaled for the last time.

The Assassin stained a white feather with the leopard's blood.

* * *

 

Meanwhile…

"Nick. Nick, get up."

The fox moaned as he awoke from his slumber to see Judy standing next to him. "Is it time to go home yet?"

"It's only ten in the morning."

Nick plopped his head back on the desk. "Wake me up when it's our break."

"Nick, you know we're supposed to be looking over the files on the suspects."

He sighed heavily while bringing his head back up. "Why did Bogo have to assign us the case?"

"Because he knows our capabilities and will give us a promotion when we succeed. We both agreed to this remember." Judy quickly continued before Nick could protest. "And no, I didn't speak for you. Let remind you that you happily jumped at the opportunity. A pretty rare sight for him and me." Judy smiled at the last part.

"Are you sure that wasn't you, Carrots?" That remark earned him a punch in the shoulder, which was enough to jolt him awake. "Ow, okay!"

"But you are right about me being excited about the promotion, I just wanted to remind you of your similar reaction. Anyways, with most of the preparations done, it should be easier from here."

Nick furrowed his brow. "Do you really think that, Carrots?"

Judy's ears drooped. "Okay maybe not, but still."

Nick reclined back in his chair. "If you want my progress report, none of the mammals I looked into so far have a criminal record. What about you?"

Judy sighed heavily. "Nothing. There's really little to go on. Are you sure you don't know anyone who could tell us about the culprit?"

"Fluff, I already told you. No one I know has encountered or even seen this mammal. Whoever we are dealing with is very selective in making contact."

"We'll just have to keep searching then and note the possible candidates."

Nick put his paws on his face. "Ugh, not even a promotion is not keeping me from wanting to pull my fur out."

Judy did her best to reassure him. "I know it's been a week since the incident, but we can't let this case get cold. Something will pop up soon that will help."

During their conversation, police officers ran by in a hurry. Judy and Nick wondered what was going on and stopped one of them.

"Wolford, what's going on?" Judy inquired.

The Timberwolf was breathing heavily from running. "We just got a call for a murder at the University of Zootopia."

The news shocked Judy and Nick as Wolfard continued on.

"Do you think it's the same mammal?" Nick asked.

"Only one way to find out," Judy jumped off the chair and made for the door. "Come on."

At the crime scene, Judy spoke with the witnesses and Nick inspected the body with the forensics team while the Chief and the other officers kept the spectators away. Judy spoke with Nick after interviewing the witnesses.

"It's definitely similar the first one except with more witnesses this time. From their description, the culprit was sitting on this bench when the leopard passed by. The culprit got up, grabbed, and set her down on the bench before walking away. The students came investigating when they saw the leopard not moving and discovered the murder. They gave the same description of the appearance." She looked up at Nick after reading her notes. "What did you find?"

Nick took his aviators off. "The wound here is the same except the entry point was from the front. It must have happened when the culprit grabbed her. Forensics also found this." He revealed a white feather stained with blood in an evidence bag. "This is more than just a random act. Whoever is doing this must have more targets. We better watch out in the future."

"Hopps. Wilde."

The two saw Chief Bogo approaching them.

"Did you find anything of significance?"

Nick showed the blood-stained feather.

"So it isn't a coincidence then." Chief sighed and resigned himself to the fact. "The public must not know about the connection. Understand?"

Judy and Nick both nodded.

"Now gather the evidence and continue your investigation."

They nodded. "Yes sir,"

* * *

 

Judy grunted as she finished researching the next suspect on the list. "Another dead end."

Nick huffed. "Now you know how I felt earlier when you interrupted my nap."

"You're not supposed to sleep on the job anyways."

Nick shrugged his shoulders and returned to his share of the work.

Judy continued to review the profiles of the victims when she noticed a particular connection. "Interesting."

"You got something, Carrots?"

She turned to face Nick. "It's a hunch, but I noticed that both victims are predators."

Nick's ear perked at her words and faced Judy. "So you think our killer is targeting predators? That's a bit of a stretch considering there are only two incidents so far."

"I know, but it could be a possible motive."

Nick hesitated. "I guess, but we need more evidence. Right now there's isn't much."

"You're right," Judy sighed. "It just bothers me that there is still prejudice against predators. I mean we both proved the Night Howlers were responsible for them going savage."

"You got to remember that this doesn't go away overnight, Carrots. Take me for example. I still get prejudice remarks for being a fox even three years after we saved the city. That and flashing my police badge only keeps the trouble at bay."

"Well when we do catch this murderer, I'm going to find out the motive. No one, predator or prey, deserves this."

Nick smiled at her energy. "It's that optimism is why I enjoy being your partner."

His compliment made Judy smile too. "What would you do without me?"

They both returned to their work after the exchange.

* * *

 

Target: Male Camel

Occupation: Lawyer

Location: Law Firm in Sahara Square

Time: Dusk…Ten days later

He is one of the most prolific lawyers in Zootopia and the most sought after for difficult cases. His non-bias when selecting cases made him even more favorable, resulting in both predator and prey vying for him. But few knew of his secret. Underneath all the praise and reputation, the lawyer was a Templar. Most involved settling the dispute and controversy for the Order. The remaining cases were used as a cover to hide the true motives.

Perched on top of the law firm, the Assassin waited for the camel to exit the building. Same with the leopard, he had more preparation but even more pressure to carry the assassination. The camel is certain to have learned of his two colleagues' deaths and will take extra precautions to avoid that same fate. Since the previous assassinations occurred on the ground, the Assassin decided to change tactics and perform one from above, hoping to catch his target by surprise.

When the time came for the lawyer to leave, he did not appear. Overtime, being held up at work, possibly taking an alternate escape, and other reasons flooded the Assassin's mind. Not taking any chances and wanting to investigate much of the possibilities, the Assassin concentrated his thoughts at the exit until his view changed. With his field of vision tinted, he saw a trail highlighted on the back side of the building. "Gotcha." His eyes followed the trail until seeing a figure glowing in yellow. "There you are."

The Assassin returned his vision to normal and pursued his target. He traversed the rooftops and slowed down once he caught up to his target. The Assassin noticed the camel's erratic behavior while walking: occasionally glancing at his surroundings, seemingly dropping his belongings before looking around afterward, the slow increase of walking speed. "He knows that I'm coming for him." A bus drove by their location and with that, the camel began running after it. "Shoot! I better get to him before he gets on!"

The journey from his office to the bus stop was agonizing for the camel. Fear of his death grew into paranoia and slowly got the better of him. Seeing his bus passing by momentarily snapped him back to reality. Now he could run without looking like a fool. The fear caused the camel barely making it to the bus stop and be last in line. He kept looking around, anxiously waiting to enter the bus. The line moved slowly as the passengers paid their fee and found their place to sit or stand.

With each passing second, the camel's paranoia began to show, twitching at the slightest disturbance and drawing eyes from the passengers off and on the bus. After what felt like an eternity, the camel finally reached the doors with the bus pass out to pay the fare. Wasting no time, the camel stepped onto the bus when an eagle's screech was heard. His eyes widened in horror, and the next thing the camel knew, he was pounced to the ground and felt a blade enter his neck. The not so subtle attack drew immediate reactions.

"Someone call the police!"

The passengers screamed and the driver immediately closed the doors and stepped on the gas. The bus darted down the road to escape the immediate danger.

* * *

 

"I knew it was you." The camel grunted in pain. "Who else would it be?"

"I have to give credit where it's due. Your efforts to avoid me was a nice change of pace."

"It was worth the attempt. Even though I accept the inevitability of my fate, it does not mean I should readily embrace it."

"You know. If you weren't a Templar, I would actually admire your work and character." The Assassin admitted.

"So you take my life simply because of my allegiance as with the others? Is that your reason? A shameful, no, disgraceful one." The camel chastised.

"No," He denied. "I did it to spare Zootopia the suffering should your Order continue to live on."

"And how does that compare to the aftermath of my death? If your goal is to prevent suffering, then you still failed."

"Make no mistake. The suffering that will occur now pales in comparison to what your Order should bring upon Zootopia."

"A choice between the lesser of two evils it seems. A situation common in my field. But it's clear to me you have chosen to continue Zootopia's current problems. I hope you are satisfied with that." He exhaled for the last time.

The Assassin took a deep breath before staining a white feather with the camel's blood.

* * *

 

"Thank you for your time. We'll let you know if anything else comes up." Judy said.

Hoping to understand the motives behind the murders and identify a suspect, Judy and Nick decided to interview known associates of the two victims. Judy asked the questions while Nick protected her in case the associates got violent and also determined if they were lying. The two had spent the past ten days conduction interviews with little progress.

They exited the building and entered their police cruiser. Judy plopped her head on the steering wheel out of frustration as Nick reclined in his seat and put his paws behind his head.

Judy took out her notepad and crossed another name out. "Everyone we interviewed so far has said only praise for the victims. Which begs the question: why would someone want to kill them?"

"You don't enjoy success without making enemies. Even if they are hidden. Those predators probably burned a few bridges on their path to success. I wouldn't be surprised if they were involved in shady business along the way. Trust me."

"I do, except for the shady business part." Judy then decided to lighten the mood. "But since you don't know anybody who knows this mammal, I'm starting to have my doubts."

Nick gasped and feigned being hurt. "I can't believe you would say such a thing, Carrots. I told you I know everybody." But he became serious again. "Though I do admit on rare occasion I don't know someone, even rarer if they live in Zootopia."

"And how did you go about to know them?"

"By doing what we are doing now: ask around for information and using known connections. No matter how long it takes, the end reward is worth it. Personally, it's a matter of pride. How can I claim to know everyone if I don't?"

"I didn't know you heard a personal streak," Judy said curiously.

Before Nick could respond, their police radio suddenly buzzed and a familiar but frantic voice of Clawhauser was heard. "Dispatch to all available units, we have 187 in Sahara Square." He quickly gave the location.

Judy and Nick looked at each other and nodded.

"Time to find out more about our mysterious culprit," Judy said.

She revved up the cruiser and they hurried to Sahara Square. There, the officers had blocked off the area and were redirecting the traffic. Judy and Nick approached the line of officers and were let through after being recognized. As with the previous scenes, Judy spoke with the witnesses while Nick inspected the body with forensics. The same distinctions are there with a few important exceptions.

"Either this mammal is getting bolder or is sending a message," Judy said. "Multiple witnesses saw the culprit descend from above and murder the victim. Before that, they heard an eagle's screech. Some claimed to a silhouette of an attacking eagle before the camel's death. This still doesn't explain the feathers."

"The culprit is definitely sending a message," Nick revealed another bloodstained white feather. "And it's not just the feathers being left behind. We can throw out the motive of predators being targeted, the victim being a prey proves that anyone in Zootopia can be next. Predator or Prey. Male or Female. Whoever is doing this must either be sadistic or has ulterior motives."

"I was really hoping that wasn't the case."

The two turned around to see the Chief standing behind them with his hooves crossed.

Bogo could only shake his head. "So much for keeping this quiet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While the debate over Delgato, a lion, and Fangmeyer, a tigress, seems to have cleared, there is still debate over Grizzoli being a white wolf or a polar bear as far as I know. For this story, he is a white wolf. The rest will remain as they have been named during roll call.


	3. Politics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Until they meet, the Assassin will be referred as the killer or whatever the media names him to Judy and Nick in their conversations since they along with the rest of Zootopia do not know about both Orders just yet because of their secret nature.

"Good morning, Zootopia. I'm Fabienne Growley."

"And I'm Peter Moosebridge."

"The most recent attack has confirmed that a serial killer is currently targeting predators and prey. Three mammals have died so far in this spree and the motive behind their deaths has remained unclear. The only clue is this white blood-stained feather found on the most recent victim according to eyewitnesses." A picture of the feather was shown on television. "The ZPD has recently confirmed that the same feathers were also found on the other two victims. Chief Bogo has released a statement regarding the recent development,"

"I represent the entire Zootopia Police Department when saying this. We vow to do everything in our power to bring this mammal to justice and will not be deterred by this individual's actions. Right now, we ask for your patience and trust as we work to stop this crime spree. Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to be reckless stop this mammal yourselves. The individual is considered armed and extremely dangerous."

The screen returned to the studio where Peter Moosebridge took the lead.

"In other news, the prey-predator company Depolitio has launched a campaign to stop the killings. They rightly believe that this mammal will undo all the progress made in bringing harmony to Zootopia and will revive the previous tensions between predators and prey. The company has gained approval from City Hall and joined forces with the government to increase the search efforts. This partnership has been well received and brought a renewed sense of hope among the citizens amidst the skepticism. This has been ZNN with your news."

* * *

 

Bogo shut off the video on his computer he had been showing to Nick and Judy in his office and turned the screen back facing him.

The Chief covered his face with his hooves and sighed heavily. "Just when things couldn't get any worse."

Judy and Nick became confused at his statement.

"Excuse me Chief," Judy asked. "But I don't see the problem with having outside help, especially now that the killings growing big enough."

"That's not the issue, Hopps." He uncovered his face, revealing an unpleasing look. "Since the partnership formed, public opinion and support have turned more favorable to the company. This has subjected the ZPD to doubt and humiliation from lack of results. You may have noticed the more vocal critics outside the building and the tense atmosphere inside upon arrival this morning."

"Wow," Nick said in disbelief. "They really think a company is going to stop this," He used is paws in quotations for the next part. "White Feather Killer as the media has called it?"

"Apparently so. I don't know how Depolito has this much allure over them. If this keeps up, it won't be long before they and the citizens start demanding us to relinquish control of the case over to them. With support from the populace, I have no doubt City Hall will give in to their demands."

Enraged at the possibility, Judy immediately stood up on the chair and slammed her paw on Bogo's desk. "They can't do that! There's no way they can do that!"

Bogo slammed a hoof down and pointed the other at Judy in response. "SIT DOWN, HOPPS! And don't you ever slam my desk again while I'm in here!"

Realizing her mistake, Judy sat back down feeling guilty for the outburst. Nick placed his paw on her shoulder to comfort her.

"I hate that possibility as much as you do," Bogo continued in a calmer tone. "But there's nothing we can do to stop their campaign. It's within their rights."

Judy and Nick remained silent, but their expressions hid nothing.

"I understand your frustration. Everyone else feels the same. The best thing we can do right now is to lock this mammal away forever before the situation gets worse." Bogo gathered some files together on his desk. "Now go on over to the bullpen. I have important information pertaining to the case that the rest of force must hear. Dismissed."

Judy and Nick saluted the Chief and exited his office. On the way, they observed the tense atmosphere in Precinct One. Officers were frustrated but remained professional to further avoid ruining the ZPD's image. The only positive was that the media paid more attention to Depolitio than the ZPD, allowing the officers to continue their work. Even then, those out on patrol or doing field work still received negative attention from the citizens according to their reports.

Once out of range, Judy grabbed her ears and released her frustration. "UGH! I can't believe this!"

"Calm down, Carrots!" Nick said, trying his best to alleviate his partner's frustration.

"How can one mammal cause so much fear to all of Zootopia?"

"You act like it's never happened before."

Judy glared at Nick and pointed a finger at him. "That's not the point. This mammal has made a fool of the ZPD and is toying with us. Worst of all, we're losing support from the citizens!"

"I realize that, but running around and shouting to the heavens won't help us."

Judy sighed, having finally calmed down. "There must be something we are not looking at. Something right under our noses."

"Look at the bright side. Chief must have a breakthrough if he ordered us to the bullpen."

"Hopefully. My parents are panicking over this and have been begging me to return home until this is over! Not they have already been doing that."

* * *

 

In the room, the officers were not their rowdy behavior. It was a rare day of silence before Bogo enters as even Judy and Nick, who are normally talkative, remained silent. Chief Bogo finally entered and every officer gave him their undivided attention. He noticed the silence before entering and knew they needed some good news.

"Alright, I understand this frustrating for all of us, but we must remain professional. That is first and foremost. Neither this mammal nor the overwhelming support for a company will deter us. Our job is to protect and serve the citizens of Zootopia. We will continue our efforts to eliminate this threat. Second, all the bodies have been successfully identified and a connection was discovered. The victims are all high profile in their fields. This leads to my last point. Since the mammal appears to have criteria for the targets, I am assigning you in pairs to protect the potential targets. Clawhauser and I will be protecting Gazelle."

"So you finally admit your love for Gazelle huh?" Nick shouted, unable to contain himself after being silent for so long.

"Shut it, Wilde!"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, the other officers quietly chuckled at the exchange, secretly thankful for Nick's humor to lighten the mood. Bogo quickly refocused the situation and began pairing up the officers and assigning the targets.

"Hopps, Wilde, you two are assigned to protect the reinstated Mayor Lionheart. Everything has already been arranged so all you have to do is report to him. Dismissed."

In his office, Leodore Lionheart was busy trying to contain the chaos caused by the Assassin. While a curse with the amount of negative response directed at City Hall and the ZPD, Lionheart considered it a small blessing with the killings being the main focus over matters for which he wished for more time to deliberate.

In the midst of his thoughts, he heard someone knocking on his door. "Come in!" Lionheart felt relieved when saw Judy and Nick enter. "Finally, the ZPD came to their senses and decided to send extra protection!"

Judy took a moment to clear her throat and gather the proper words, "Pardon me for asking Mayor, but don't you already have bodyguards?"

"Yes, but I feel more comfortable with the ZPD's best officers protecting me. That is why I personally requested you."

"Very flattering of you," Nick said, standing proudly.

Judy ignored the remark. "You have our word, Mayor. We won't let that mammal even breathe the same air as you."

"I'm counting on that. This is getting out of paw. Not even the Smellwether's plot was this chaotic!"

"What would you have us do?" Nick asked.

"Stay close, don't let anyone near me I don't allow, and perform a security check for those I do," He pointed and Judy and Nick looked in the direction to see a large desk set up with the files on the case. "I'm aware of your investigation so I made the necessary accommodations. I'll even allow you to ask me questions about the case. Within reason."

Judy breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they can continue their work while on guard duty. "Thank you for allowing us to continue our work, Mayor."

"Yeah," Nick said. "You don't want to see Hopps here cramped up in a room all day with nothing else to do. Trust me."

This earned him a punch in the shoulder and a glare from his partner.

"Alright enough fooling around!" Lionheart ordered. "I want to see progress on finding this killer!"

"Yes, Mayor!" Judy and Nick acknowledged.

* * *

 

Throughout the day, Judy and Nick followed Lionheart's orders in checking any visitors for danger while continuing their work at the desks. The procedure involves one collecting loose items and the other scanning the clothes with a metal detector. The items were then returned to the visitor after the scan was completed. Their interview with Lionheart revealed nothing suspicious and Nick could tell that Lionheart was truthful in his answers. Being arrested can change an individual for the better.

Fortunately, few visitors came to the office that day and they all were cleared of danger. Unfortunately for Nick and Judy, their work did not end at night.

"What do you mean we're not finished?!" Nick yelled, flabbergasted at the news.

"You heard me," Lionheart said, unfazed by the outburst. "I want you two to protect me at all times."

Judy had refrained from protesting for long enough. This was borderline insane. "Sir, is that really necessary? I know your life is potentially in danger, but do you not trust your own security to protect you in your home?"

"You're not the one being targeted here, Hopps!" Lionheart yelled.

"Excuse me Mayor, but you need to calm down!" Nick intervened. "She has a point. It's one thing to protect you at work, but at home? That's a little much."

"You don't understand. It's not a possibility I could be next! It's a certainty that I am next!"

The response set off red flags for Nick and Judy.

"What are you talking about?" Judy asked, curious to know more.

Lionheart realized his comment and quickly calmed down. "Sorry for my outburst. You must understand why I am paranoid about this."

"Clearly," Nick said unapologetically.

He and Judy still had their suspicions but filed them away for later.

"I do sincerely apologize for my behavior," Lionheart continued. "I know your services are already compensated, but I want to make it better."

Just then, a female kangaroo entered the room. "Pardon the interruption, but I must speak to you."

Lionheart recognized the kangaroo as one of his own but remained cautious. "Before you speak, Hopps, Wilde."

"Yes, Mayor." Judy begrudgingly said as she readied the metal detector.

"Sorry about this," Nick said as he gathered the bin.

The kangaroo smiled and waved a paw, "You're only doing your job, officers."

The marsupial removed any loose items on her and placed them in the bin Nick was holding. Judy then scanned her with the metal detector. Except for the metal parts on her attire, the kangaroo was clear.

"She's good," Judy said.

"Please continue," Lionheart said.

The kangaroo nodded. "Sir, you can't remain out of public eye forever. It will send a bad message to the citizens."

Lionheart narrowed his eyes at her, "You know very well why I am doing this." He said sternly.

"Yes, Mayor. But understand that if this behavior continues, the citizens will realize even the mayor is afraid. when that happens, they'll call for a new one. Someone who is not afraid and will do everything to stop this mammal."

There was a brief pause to let the kangaroo's words sink in.

"You make a good point there," Lionheart conceded. "I must show that Zootopia's leaders do not fear this mammal. I'll do something, but it must be cautious."

"The ZPD will gladly assist you." Judy quickly offered. "I can guarantee you their full support."

"We want this mammal caught and locked away forever as much as you do," Nick added.

"I'm glad to hear that. I will discuss this with the rest of the council, the ZPD, and Depolitio." He looked back at the kangaroo. "Please arrange a meeting tomorrow and notify the other members, the Precinct Chiefs, and the company's CEO and COO."

"Yes, Mayor." The kangaroo exited the room.

When the three were alone again, Judy looked back at Lionheart with hope in her eyes, "So does this mean we can go home?"

"No," Lionheart put his paw up and continued before they could protest. "Please, I beg of you. Just for tonight. I'll even make your stay comfortable, and you can still continue your work."

Wanting this to end, they finally gave in.

"We'll do it," Judy said reluctantly.

"At least I can cross that off my bucket list," Nick said.

* * *

 

The next day in City Hall, Nick and Judy waited with Lionheart and the council outside the conference room. The police chiefs arrived first, greeting Lionheart and his mammals as they entered.

"Hey, Chief!" Nick exclaimed.

Bogo stopped in front of Nick and Judy. "Hopps. Wilde. Performing your duties I presume?"

Judy nodded. "Yes, Chief."

"Good. Because Lionheart is sending progress reports. So I'll know if you make a mistake."

"Understood," Nick said. "We promise to do nothing but our absolute best."

Bogo nodded at their commitment. "See that you do." He then entered the room to greet the Mayor and the council.

Minutes later, a group of mammals in suits led by a zebra and a hyena approached the conference room. The zebra and hyena saw the police officers at the entrance and stopped to speak to them.

"Is this where the meeting is?" The zebra asked politely.

"Yes," Judy said. "You must be from Depolitio."

"Correct," The zebra extended a hoof. "Arlyss Maverick. CEO of Depolitio. A pleasure to meet you."

The hyena then extended a paw. "Kazim Karrar. COO of Depolitio. You two must be Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde."

"A pleasure to meet you also," Nick said as he shook the hyena's paw.

Judy shook zebra's hoof. "Just to warn you, the police aren't too pleased with being the patsy in this. You should be careful during the meeting."

The CEO sighed. "It is unfortunate, but that's why we're also here to address that. We can't have division among us or the killer will take advantage and cause more mayhem."

"Believe us," The COO said. "This puts more pressure on us to get the results. Taking on this full time does more harm than good by stretching our resources."

"Then we wish you luck in the meeting, but first," Nick said as he picked up the bin.

"Sorry, Mayor's orders," Judy said as she readied the metal detector. "We don't lose our jobs for disobeying them."

The zebra nodded. "We understand."

Nick and Judy performed the arduous task of inspecting every mammal in Depolitio's group. A few expressed their mild disdain at Nick holding their belongings, but Arlyss and Kazim quickly silenced them with threats of repercussions. Finally, Nick and Judy completed the inspection and the Depolitio representatives entered the conference room.

Behind closed doors, Lionheart discussed how to address the citizens of the Assassin. After much debate and compromise, City Hall and the ZPD agreed to hold an indoor rally at the Zootopia Regional Convention with heavy security at the entrance and inside. The rally will also be broadcast for those who are unable to attend.

But the plan was met with heavy criticism and dispute from Depolitio. Despite the opportunity to capture the Assassin, Depolitio reasoned that it would severely backfire and Lionheart ends up dead. City Hall and the ZPD responded by pointing out the lack of progress on their end, subtlety hinting them to be all talk and no action. The two sides continued to throw verbal jabs at each other that eventually led nowhere. Meanwhile, Judy and Nick heard the entire discussion from outside the room.

The company's reaction set off red flags for Nick. "Depolitio's response is very suspicious," He said. "It's like they don't want to capture this mammal."

"They're only concerned for Lionheart's safety. An indoor rally could still leave openings."

"Possibly, but they seem to know a lot about the mammal in question."

"Who doesn't? His actions have been broadcasted all over Zootopia."

Nick sighed at Judy's lack of understanding. "I'm saying they know information that we haven't uncovered yet. Don't you find that suspicious?"

Judy took a few seconds to ponder his words. "Hmm, you're right now that I think about it. So you think there is a connection between the two?"

"I hope not, but my hustler instincts are skyrocketing right now."

"We can look into that later. For now, we focus on this."

As the meeting progressed, City Hall and the ZPD stood firmly by their plan and will carry it out despite the opposition. Depolitio warned once again that they were making a mistake and the potential fallout. This time the response they got was an adjourned meeting. Nick and Judy quickly stood aside when they heard mammals standing up. They saw the doors open and Depolitio representatives leave in frustration. Judy and Nick looked at each other, silently understanding the consequences.

During the preparation, extra precautions were taken to protect Lionheart during his speech. At his request, Judy and Nick will patrol the stage while two of his personal bodyguards stand by him. Another line of officers, joined by Chief Bogo, will protect the immediate area around the stage. Beyond that, there will be undercover officers among the citizens and sniper teams on the upper levels. SWAT team will also join, given how dangerous the Assassin is. Days before the rally, they held drills in the area to learn the routines, scout the possible entry points, and prepare for the Assassin's next appearance.

Meanwhile, Judy and Nick were ordered by Lionheart to protect him 24/7 despite their vehement protests. But Lionheart assured it will only be until the end of the rally and the officers relented solely for that reason. Despite the accommodations and extra pay, Judy and Nick became frustrated with the job as they spent more time on protection than on the case. Even the allure of living in the Mayor's abode eventually ran out. For them, the rally couldn't come any quicker as any casework they hoped to get done was stalled.

* * *

 

Because the political rally was a highly publicized event, the turnout was much higher than expected and the visitors filled the convention center to the max. SWAT and all available ZPD were assigned to watch the area from the outer perimeters to near the stage. The exceptions were officers assigned to the potential targets. This was to avoid the possibility of the Assassin targeting them with the entire force focused on the rally.

Seeing the large turnout caused some fear for Nick. "I'm starting to think the company was right in their concerns. There are enough mammals here for the mammal to slip through unnoticed."

"It may be," Judy replied. "But desperate times call for desperate measures."

Nick sighed at those words. "You have no idea how many times I hear that.

"Look at it in this perspective," she said, trying to encourage him. "It's a win-win situation for us. Best case scenario. The mammal appears and we catch him. Worst case scenario that doesn't involve death. We prevent the assassination and get a better look at the mammal. If nothing happens, Lionheart gets to live another day."

Nick chuckled. "I wish I had your optimism. But even if nothing happens, Lionheart is still in danger. I doubt the mammal will stop if he fails."

Judy's ears drooped at the comment. Nick did have a point but now was not the time to dwell on it. "We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there. But first, we need to make it to that bridge."

After one last check, Judy and Nick walked onto the stage and waited for Lionheart's arrival. The audience calmed down as Mayor Lionheart appeared with a grizzly bear and rhino bodyguard and stood at the podium to give his speech.

Bogo's voice then came through their radios, "Report in. Is everyone in their positions?"

"Sniper teams in position."

"SWAT team in position."

"Stage team in position."

He then heard confirmations from everyone else.

"Excellent, stay vigilant and the mammal will be apprehended."

As Lionheart gave his speech, Judy and Nick walked around the stage, keeping their senses heightened for any sign of the Assassin while the bodyguards stood behind Lionheart. Bogo would periodically check in to see if anyone spotted the Assassin.

"Status report." The Cape Buffalo heard everyone but the sniper teams. "Sniper teams report."

There was no response.

"Sniper teams! I repeat, report!" Again, no response and Bogo became alarmed. "Someone check on them now! We need their support! Everyone else, arm yourselves and stay alert!"

The officers and SWAT on the ground readied their weapons and kept watch for the Assassin. They didn't see any signs of threats and remained focused. Then, they heard the news.

"Sniper teams are down! I repeat sniper teams are down!"

Thankful for the news being transmitted through police radio, Bogo dreaded the next part. "Give me the details."

A sigh of relief was heard. "Alive but unconscious. The tranquilizers have also been taken."

The rest of the force knew it was bad if the Assassin possessed police weapons.

"Stay with them until they regain consciousness. Everyone else, stay vigilant! Protect Lionheart at all cost! Our mammal is in the building and armed."

The check-in became more frequent to ensure the everyone's safety in the convention center. Then, lack of updates started to occur. This caused more alarm and drew officers away to investigate. The only thing preventing the rally from being canceled outright was the chaos that will occur from everyone trying to leave, giving the Assassin the perfect opportunity to strike. The officers and SWAT maintained their professional stance to avoid revealing the knowledge. As Lionheart continued, Judy and Nick heard an eagle's screech, alarming them as they recognize the detail from the most recent murder.

"Nick, do you hear that?"

"Yes, Carrots. He's here. Keep your eye out and be careful."

With so many mammals at the rally, Judy and Nick must rely on their special senses to track the Assassin. As the remaining officers became stretched thin, they prepared for the inevitable. While scouting the immediate area, another eagle's screech was heard. This time much closer. Judy and Nick quickly looked in the direction of the sound and saw a hooded mammal rapidly approaching the stage. It didn't take long for them to recognize the individual.

Nick pointed at the Assassin, "There he is!"

Judy did the same. "Stop him!"

Everyone else looked in their direction and saw the Assassin in the midst. The citizens became terrified and quickly moved out of danger. Exposed, the Assassin ran to the stage and the ZPD quickly mobilized their remaining numbers. What was supposed to be a fortified line was now only at half strength as a result of the Assassin's work. Despite the lesser numbers, the remaining officers moved in for the takedown. At the police line, the Assassin drew out an umbrella and used it to vault over them. Seeing that happened, Judy and Nick quickly drew their tranquilizers and the bear and rhino moved to protect Lionheart.

What transpired next occurred in a flash. At the stage, the Assassin grabbed Judy and Nick's arms that were holding the tranquilizers and pushed them down to the stage floor. Then, he launched himself into the air off of them with the tranquilizers in possession. The Assassin shot at the bear and the rhino, leaving Lionheart wide open. Quickly disposing of the guns, he raised the left paw and flicked the wrist. Judy and Nick recovered in time to see a blade appear from the paw as the Assassin fell forward in Lionheart's direction.

Lionheart stood in fear for his life, along with everyone else present or watching on television. All the protection that Zootopia could provide him had failed in an instant and now there was nothing else he could do to prevent his end. Everyone watched in horror as the Assassin was about to perform the kill. Cameras snapped the image and videos recorded the moment. It felt to all but the Assassin as if time slowed down. But then to their surprise, he flew right by Lionheart and pounced on the rhino bodyguard instead, stabbing the neck with the blade and ending a life.

* * *

 

"What sense does it make to take the Mayor's life in front of many?"

The rhino huffed. "Fool, what makes you think it was going to happen here?"

"That doesn't change anything. Lionheart's efforts along with that of the ZPD have brought peace and prosperity to Zootopia and you would destroy that."

"We are not ignorant of the results. We simply wanted his cooperation to maintain Zootopia's recent success."

"And substituted it with something similar to the Night Howlers? It's clear that he disagrees with your plans."

"Regardless, you fell right into the trap. Now all of Zootopia knows of your appearance."

"But not my species and identity." The Assassin clarified.

"They will know eventually from the footage and the crime scene. It's only a matter of time."

"You are right about that. But Zootopia will not only know my identity and motives, they will the plot by you and your Order."

The rhino shook his head. "Not after this, you will give them enough reason to rally Zootopia against you. You're all by yourself with no one else to help you." The rhino exhaled for the last time.

"Then I'll make some friends."

* * *

 

The Assassin closed the rhino's eyes and stained a white feather on the wound with the blood. Those acts gave the ZPD and SWAT enough time to gather near the stage to make the arrest.

"We have you surrounded! There is nowhere to run! Surrender or we will take you down!"

The Assassin saw weapons pointed at him and did not move. The standoff felt like an eternity until a large smoke cloud engulfed the stage and the surrounding area. Mammals backed away as the smoke continued to spread. Judy and Nick successfully moved Lionheart and the bear bodyguard out of immediate danger despite their large size and being disoriented from the smoke. Lionheart remained in shock from the sudden turn of events and the bear was unconscious from the tranquilizer dose. The ZPD and SWAT immediately moved in to protect the Mayor from further harm as the civilians fled out of the building. When the smoke cleared, the Assassin was gone.

"Which way did he go?" Judy asked frantically.

Nick recovered before Judy and searched around. "There!"

Judy looked at the direction Nick pointed in and saw the Assassin leaving the scene. A scowl of determination formed on her face, "He's not getting away!"

"Wait, Judy!"

The bunny took off running, ignoring her partner's pleas. Nick pursued and successfully caught up to Judy. Their pursuit was hindered from the chaos caused by the assassination. From their location, Judy and Nick watched the Assassin leave through the back entrance. With their window getting smaller by the second, the two officers increased the pace, using their small size to pass through the legs of larger mammals. They finally escaped outside and saw the Assassin walking away.

"Stop in the name of the law!" Judy yelled. "You're under arrest!"

The Assassin immediately broke into a sprint when hearing the police behind him. Judy and Nick broke into a sprint also and pursued. Citizens along the path cleared the way when hearing the officers shout and seeing the runners. The Assassin tried to use the stoplights to increase the distance between himself and the officers, but Nick and Judy foiled his attempts. The chase at one point crossed a red light intersection and they were nearly hit by vehicles, more for the officers than the Assassin. That close call was the last straw.

"We need to end this before someone gets hurt!" Judy yelled.

"He'll try to escape into an alley!" Nick cried.

"Then we split up and cut him off!"

"Keep after him, Judy! I know my way around. Keep me updated on your position!"

"Got it!"

Nick and Judy separated at the next intersection. Judy barely had enough stamina to keep sight of the Assassin but pushed on, updating Nick continuously on their location. As suspected, she saw the Assassin enter an alley and informed Nick just before arriving at the location.

"Nick, the mammal has entered an alley." She radioed.

He responded immediately. "Where are you?" She gave her location and Nick hurried to them.

In the alley, the Assassin reached a dead end and stopped running. He turned around to see Judy and then Nick appearing beside her moments later. The Assassin did not move and let the officers approach with their tasers drawn and aimed at him.

"You have nowhere else to go!" Judy ordered. "Put your paws up now!"

"Come along quietly and there won't be any more problems." Nick calmly said.

The Assassin slowly brought up his paws while Judy and Nick kept their tasers trained on him, ready to fire at any moment. Halfway through raising his paws, the Assassin clenched his left paw to the right and flung his right one forward to the left. Before Judy and Nick realized what happened, they felt their tasers missing from their paws. They looked to see blades impaled through their weapons against the brick walls.

The two returned their attention to the Assassin and saw his paws crossed with one having what appeared to be a miniature bow. The Assassin straightened his paws and positioned his feet and arms into a martial arts stance. Shaken but not deterred, Judy and Nick assumed into their sparring stances.

"Okay, if that's how you want to go out," Nick said.

"Don't underestimate us," Judy warned.

They remained in their stances until Judy and Nick charged forward at the same time. The officers hoped that the combined attack would overwhelm him or at least let them grab a piece of clothing. That failed when he leaped over them and now they were the ones cornered in the dead end.

"Okay, now what?" Nick said.

"Wait a few seconds," Judy said before she charged forward again.

Nick understand her plan but would have a few words later about charging head-on into danger, again.

Just like their initial attack, the Assassin defended himself with little difficulty and eventually punched Nick with enough force that it launched him into the wall.

"Nick!" Judy's gaze followed her partner. but she quickly realized the mistake of looking away. Fortunately for her, the Assassin did not attack and waited until their eyes met to resume fighting.

With Judy alone, the Assassin went more on the offensive, landing mild hits on the bunny while dodging and deflecting her attacks.

To her surprise, Judy failed to land a single hit despite having taken down mammals many times her size before and this mammal was no bigger than a wolf. During one attack, the Assassin punched Judy in the face with enough force to launch her backwards. Nick recovered in time to see Judy land hard on the floor and saw her bleeding from the mouth.

"Judy!" He became enraged at Judy being hurt and snapped his head at the Assassin. Roaring with fury, Nick immediately got up and launched an all-out assault. The Assassin did the same to him in less time and eventually with a punch to the nose, sent Nick to the ground next to Judy.

The officers recovered from the blows and looked up to the Assassin covering his mouth. As they waited for his next move, a smoke cloud engulfed the alley and sent them into a coughing fit again. Expecting an attack, Nick and Judy hurriedly limped for the alley entrance, hoping they don't run into the Assassin. The two escaped the smoke and collapsed onto the ground. They recovered in time to see the smoke cleared and no Assassin. Despite using their senses, they found no trace of him in the alley. Their broken tasers were found on the ground without the blades.

"Darn it!" Judy yelled in frustration. "We almost had him, and the knives are gone too! That could have been useful evidence." She desperately looked at Nick. "Did you manage to get a piece of the clothing?"

Nick shook his head. "Sorry Carrots, I didn't even land a hit on him."

Judy groaned in frustration and pounded the ground with both paws.

"Now there's no point in sulking over it," Nick said. "This won't be the last encounter."

Once Judy calmed down, she looked at Nick and gasped. "Nick, your nose."

He checked it and saw the blood on his paw. "It's nothing serious. You should check your mouth."

Judy did so and saw hers covered in blood as well. "Is it bad?"

Nick shook his head. "Nothing a little water won't fix, but it did scare me at first."

"We should be lucky to have escaped with only minor injuries."

"I'm more afraid if our mammal decides to do worst."

They pulled themselves to their feet and recovered the damaged tasers.

"We should clean ourselves before returning to Bogo," Nick said. "Can't have him get us evaluated for something minor and be potentially taken off the case."

"That's much worse than the mammal escaping."

Frustrated at their failure, Judy and Nick returned to the rally to investigate the crime scene after cleaning blood off themselves in a restroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To anyone who was wondering, that was a phantom blade and throwing knife the Assassin used to knock the tasers away.


	4. Discovery

When Bogo saw Nick and Judy return, he was furious at their sudden disappearance at a critical time. "Hopps, Wilde, where have you two been?!"

"Sorry, sir." Judy quickly apologized. "We saw our mammal leaving the premises and made the pursuit to arrest him."

Her answer only increased the Chief's wrath, "You two should know better than chase after a dangerous killer. You could have gotten yourselves killed!" His volume increasing near the end. He kept his composure but that didn't stop his body from radiating anger.

Nick and Judy lowered their heads in shame and said nothing, knowing he was right.

"Sorry sir, it won't happen again," Nick apologized. He then looked around before facing Bogo again, "Where is Lionheart and how is that bear bodyguard?"

The Chief relaxed slightly and crossed his arms, "The Mayor is currently safe and being protected by SWAT. The bear has no serious injuries and will recover. I assumed you failed to make the arrest."

"We had him cornered, but he fought back," Judy said in defeat.

"We survived the encounter," Nick added. "But once again, he disappeared without a trace,"

Neither mentioned their minor injuries received from the fight.

"Chief," Judy said. "I suggest we watch the alleys. It appears that's where he originates from our recent encounter and investigation."

"We intended to report our findings after the rally," Nick said.

"Duly noted." He then turned to the officers. "Get the Mayor to safety and secure this location!"

The entire building was closed off and became a crime scene. Questions were raised on how the Assassin weakened the security and why he didn't kill Lionheart. Worse, the events were broadcasted on live television, bringing more doubt and humiliation to City Hall and the ZPD. The only positives were now the citizens can now aid in capturing the Assassin after seeing his weapon and appearance.

With everyone else occupied, Judy and Nick investigated the dead rhino on stage while waiting for forensics to arrive.

"At least now the murder weapon has been identified," Nick said. "I've never seen a concealed knife like that before. Once we arrest him, I want to know how it works and where it came from."

Meanwhile, Judy was confused about the turn of events, "I don't get it. Why target one of Lionheart's bodyguards and not him?" She put on a glove and padded down the body. While searching, Judy felt an object and pulled it out. Her eyes widened in horror at the concealed blade. "Why would you have this when you have a standard issued weapon, or better yet, your strength?"

Nick shrugged his shoulders. "Last resort, or it could have been placed there by the mammal himself?"

Judy shook her head. "No, we would have seen it. I suspect something deeper with our culprit." Judy noticed a piece of paper from where she removed the blade. "Hello, what is this?" She placed the knife in an evidence bag and pulled out the paper to read it.

The Assassin will appear at the event. Make sure you are alone with him and the target before carrying out your orders. May the Father of Understanding guide you.

Judy had to refrain from becoming too excited, "I was right! The bodyguard did have orders to kill Lionheart, and the plan was to implicate our White Feather Killer. What I'm more curious about is that the note calls him the Assassin with the A capitalized."

"His actions deserve the name, but I never heard the word Assassin used as a title." Nick took a second to grasp the situation. "Boy, this just got more interesting. I'm starting to believe my hunch is becoming more plausible."

Judy placed the note in another bag and hid it and the blade. "I doubt Chief Bogo will believe this. The knife and the note will implicate...the Assassin was it...more than the rhino."

"So we do that separate investigation you mentioned earlier,"

Judy nodded.

Nick took a moment to think. "Hmm, where do you want to start?"

"I want to investigate if Lionheart had a connection with the victims. From his outburst earlier, he certainly feared for his life and these mammals could be responsible."

* * *

 

Back at Precinct One, Judy and Nick ran another background check on the victims. The bunny on the computer and the fox reading the physical files.

"According to the database," Judy said. "These mammals were involved with Lionheart during his campaign and once he got elected,"

"Huh," Nick said curiously while reading. "It also says they played a major role in Lionheart's release and reinstatement as Mayor."

"Bogo did say they were prominent in their field, so they could have had a lot of influence."

Nick closed the file and laid it on the desk, "Too much influence if you ask me."

Judy scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Nick, you seriously can't think these mammals were into shady business."

"Remember what I said earlier, Carrots. Their assassinations raise the possibility. That's what we're trying to find out for Lionheart."

The two continued their search until Judy came across an interesting piece of information.

"Look Nick. Lionheart broke off contact with them just before the reporter's death."

Nick saw the information on the computer screen, "And I bet the assassination attempt was to prevent a leak and pin the murder on the Assassin. Whoever these mammals belonged to must have planned this," He sighed deeply. "Too bad there's nothing connecting them to Depolitio. Pardon me for wanting that."

"You're probably not alone there," Judy said. "We still need proof if there is a scandal since we only have assumptions."

Nick and Judy combed through the information again, but the search yielded no results.

"Well no surprise to see nothing relating to threats and warnings against Lionheart in the files," Nick said.

While continuing the search, they discovered their previous involvement with Zootopia's pop star Gazelle.

"Check this out!" Judy said. "These mammals also worked with Gazelle and she too broke off contact them before the first murder." A dreaded thought came to her mind. "Do you think there's a plot to assassinate her?" Judy could only imagine the potential catastrophe on Zootopia.

"It happened with Lionheart. But other than severing ties, Gazelle has too much integrity to be involved in shady business."

"Should we tell Bogo?"

Nick shook his head. "This is a very serious assumption here, Carrots. Bogo will demand proof when we have none. Despite being a massive Gazelle fan, will Buffalo Butt even believe us?"

"No, but he'll definitely want to protect Gazelle during her performance."

Nick smiled with satisfaction, understanding Judy's plan. "Right. That will draw out the Assassin if there is a plot. But after the rally, it could be a while before Gazelle even considers performing."

"Knowing her, she'll want him caught as soon as possible. We just have to wait and continue our investigation for now."

* * *

 

In the aftermath of the assassination attempt, Lionheart to imposed stricter security measures. His appearances became even rarer, preferring television broadcast over live appearances. The partnership between the city and Depolitio became more strained when word got out that the company failed to contribute to capturing the Assassin. In the public eye, the combined forces would have ended the killing spree. As a result, support for the company took a hit, and City Hall and the ZPD secretly enjoyed in their misfortune. Though they themselves didn't escape blame, they grew more tolerant at the negative reception.

Judy and Nick were released from protecting Lionheart after the rally, bringing them much relief. Having more time dedicated to the case, they began their side investigation. The two immediately ruled out questioning Maverick and Karrar because of the strained partnership. This was proven by Bogo's colorful response to any company representative visiting the ZPD. Instead, Nick and Judy visited two mammals whom they feel might have worked with the victims: Dawn Bellwether and Mr. Big.

At the prison where Bellwether is incarcerated, Judy and Nick successfully arranged an interview with her. In the interrogation room, they saw Bellwether sitting at the table surrounded by predator guards who were justifiably grimacing at the ewe. Nick and Judy, meanwhile, maintained their professional appearance. The officers requested to speak with her alone, knowing that her information is sensitive. The guards agreed and reminded them that they will be ready to assist at a moment's notice.

Naturally, Bellwether was unenthusiastic about seeing Nick and Judy. After they were left alone, the ewe spoke her disdain, "What a surprise to see the hero cops of Zootopia here!"

"Hello, Bellwether," Nick said nonchalantly.

"What do you want?" She quickly put her chained hooves up before they could respond, "Wait, let me guess. You want to talk to me about the White Feather case?"

Judy sat down in the chair, maintaining her neutral expression. "It's more than that," She said in a serious tone. "We discovered the victims' connections to Lionheart. Perhaps you met them while as Assistant Mayor and later as Mayor."

Bellwether scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You don't need me. You have Lionfart and the police database."

"Two problems there," Nick said. "The system didn't provide us all the information, and Lionheart rarely lets anyone meet directly with him after the rally."

"Well isn't that unfortunate." She said while crossing her arms.

"Please," Judy pleaded and pulled out her notepad and carrot pen. "If you know anything, tell us. Someone will die by their paws eventually. It already happened to a predator. It will happen to prey; who even you don't wish harm upon. We'll help you out when this is all over, and your contribution right now is the first step."

After a brief pause, Bellwether realized they were right. The sheep took a deep breath and leaned forward to whisper. "These mammals approached me when they discovered my Night Howlers plot. They offered their support in exchange for me granting them benefits when I became Mayor. But I quickly discovered that their plans involve harming the prey."

"Yet you tried to have me kill Judy." Nick reminded, glaring at the ewe.

Bellwether shook her head. "This is much worse. It's what ultimately turned me away. I immediately severed ties with them after making the discovery. Deliberately harming prey is a line I refuse to cross. With obvious exceptions." Bellwether glared at Judy but the latter kept her professional appearance to Nick's admiration.

"Good to know," Judy said, showing no emotion and writing down the sheep's words on her notepad. "Anything else you can tell us?"

"While in prison, I overheard their plan to recruit the Mayor. Clearly, that failed. But to be honest, I'm actually glad this mammal is dealing with them. I support their goals but not their methods."

"Did they try to contact anyone else and do you know the exact details of their methods?" Judy asked, wanting change the subject.

"I was arrested before I could investigate thankfully. They warned of consequences when I broke off contact with them. I would have been silenced permanently had I not been discredited."

That made Bellwether the third mammal to have a troubled encounter to Nick and Judy's knowledge. This made them wonder how many more mammals could be in trouble.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Bellwether," Judy said.

"Be careful in your investigation. They have eyes and ears everywhere." She pointed her hoof at them. "Remember your promise."

Judy and Nick nodded and left the interrogation room as the guards returned Bellwether to her cell.

Once outside, Nick leaned over to Judy, "Are we really going to help her out of prison?" He asked, worried about assisting the mammal who nearly destroyed them.

"Nope, but we can place her under house arrest and lighten her sentence should her information come through. No good deed goes unpunished."

* * *

 

Next, the two visited Mr. Big in Tundratown. His daughter Fru Fru had given birth to a new Arctic shrew and named her Judy as promised. Mr. Big followed through with his promise in declaring Judy Hopps to be her godmother. In a surprise twist, he also declared Nick to be the godfather, reasoning that seeing him turn his life around for the better convinced the shrew that the fox was a changed mammal. Nick gladly accepted the renewed friendship. The mob boss enjoyed having the two visit on their days off to care for and play with their goddaughter.

The officers noticed the heavy security to Mr. Big's mansion on this visit compared to previous ones. The polar bear at the front entrance immediately stopped the civilian vehicle. Judy lowered the window so the polar bear can speak.

"State your name and business."

"Judy Hopps with Nick Wilde. We're here to see Mr. Big."

The polar bear saw the two and then radioed in. "Let them in."

They opened the gates and Judy and Nick drove onto the property.

"Looks like these mammals tried to recruit Mr. Big," Nick said.

"You may be right about that."

After Nick and Judy parked their vehicle, two polar bears met them and escorted them inside to Mr. Big's office. After checking on Fru Fru and her daughter, Judy and Nick entered the office where Mr. Big and his polar bear, Koslov, were waiting for them.

"Welcome back, my friends," The mob boss greeted. "I do enjoy having your company here. It's nice to have friends in the ZPD."

He brought his ring forward and the two kissed it before speaking.

"I hope you realize we can't do you a lot of favors," Judy said.

"Of course, I am only joking." Mr. Big then became serious. "But I know why you're here."

This surprised Nick and Judy.

"You do?" Judy asked.

"Yes, and I'm afraid to tell you that I have no connection or ever made contact with this White Feather Killer as the media calls it. If I ever did, I would have iced him in a heartbeat for his killing spree."

"Actually, we came ask if you know the victims," Nick said. "Show him, Hopps."

Judy stepped forward to the table and revealed their pictures.

Mr. Big leaned forward to look at the photos. "Ah yes, there are actually more than those pictured here. They tried to make me an offer I couldn't refuse, but I disagreed with their plan."

"What was their plan?" Judy asked, eager to get answers.

"They want peace and order in all things. While noble goals, I disagreed with their highly questionable and borderline unethical methods. Despite being a crime boss and wishing to increase my power and influence in Zootopia, I could not go along with that. It was too much even for me."

"Judging by the heavy security, they tried attacking you like with Bellwether and Lionheart," Nick said.

"Yes. Fortunately, my experience of being targeted by my enemies has saved me. Their first attempt ended with the perpetrators being iced. But I fear it will only be a matter of time before they succeed. They are more powerful than I realized."

"Don't worry, Mr. Big," Judy assured. "We'll find these mammals and expose their plot."

"I know you will. Before you leave, I have a request. When you do find the White Feather Killer, do not arrest him immediately. Instead, bring him to me so that I may reward his services and inquire about the motives. I do sound hypocritical for threatening to ice him just moments ago, but I changed my mind after connecting the pieces."

"We'll do out best," Nick said. "But we can't guarantee if the ZPD gets to him first."

"I understand."

"Thank you for your time Mr. Big," Judy said.

"Always a pleasure to have your company."

* * *

 

The time spent traveling visiting and setting up meetings with their mammals of interests consumed the entire day. Tired but wanting to continue working, Judy and Nick ordered take out and crashed at Judy's new apartment which she got a year after Nick joined the ZPD. She tried to convince him to move in with her, but Nick reasoned that he favored the peacefulness that came from solitude and needed to be responsible for himself. Still, Judy convinced him to look for a better apartment.

In a makeshift office of her apartment, Judy and Nick laid out the information from Bellwether and Mr. Big along with everything else gathered so far on the table. While organizing the information on the bulletin board, Judy looked back to see Nick sitting on the couch and eating his meal.

She grew annoyed at his lack of contribution. "Nick, aren't you going to help me?"

"I will, Carrots. But organizing is your specialty so I don't want to mess anything up and have you yelling at me later."

Judy grunted but conceded. "Fair point."

Once she finished, she joined Nick on the sofa and ate her meal beside him.

"This is what we have so far. There are four dead mammals whose deaths were caused this blade." She pointed to their pictures on the board along with the best quality picture of the weapon acquired.

"Aside from rhino who was only an average bodyguard," Nick said. "The others are prominent in their respective career fields. This is where it gets confusing. We originally thought it was an attack on high-profile figures, but that changed with Lionheart being spared. Now the question is why the rhino and not the Mayor?"

"More importantly, who is this Assassin figure, what are his motives, and what exactly are these mammals planning?" Judy wondered.

"To be honest, I feel relieved from this recent development. When Bogo said the victims were high-profile, I was worried about us being targeted given our popularity in Zootopia."

Judy looked up at Nick, surprised to hear that. "Really? I didn't know if you felt the same. You make yourself extremely difficult to read."

"Glad to see I haven't gotten rusty," Nick's satisfaction was quickly replaced with sadness. "But seriously, the feelings have been there since we first heard the details. When we were separated during the chase, I was worried that the Assassin would kill you. And seeing him hurt you in the alley pushed me over the edge. I really thought it was the end when we were knocked down and engulfed in smoke."

Judy saw Nick's sadness after he finished speaking and snuggled closer to comfort him. "Nick, thank you so much for caring for me. You have no idea how relieved I felt when he left us alone back there. Don't forget that I care so much for you also. You're my partner and best friend so I'll always look out for you. Until it's certain that the Assassin won't target us, we must remain on guard."

Nick and Judy cuddled together and spent a few moments in silence, happy over their survival. Working non-stop since being assigned the case, they cherished the moment of respite and refused to let thoughts of the Assassin taking their lives affect them. Much to their reluctance, the two resumed working. Eventually, they slowly came to a realization. What started as a series of homicides has unraveled into a conspiracy that could have more dire consequences than the savaged predators.

"Nick. You realize if we do uncover something sinister, it could bring pandemonium to Zootopia with the possible numbers involved."

"Which is why this must be kept secret, even from the ZPD. Again, we need solid proof before coming forward. Even our reputation won't change how the city views the Assassin."

"Don't forget that any information leaks could scare away him and the potential conspirators."

"That too."

Judy took a deep breath. "Gosh, I wonder how many more mammals are involved."

"I'm more concerned with their intentions for Zootopia if they succeed."

"Hmm. The only one who knows is the Assassin, but it's impossible to track him."

"We'll just have to wait until he strikes again because I doubt the traffic cams will help us this time."

"Hmm. Maybe not. I'm curious to see how he bypassed all the security."

"Then we pay a visit to our old pals tomorrow morning."

* * *

 

The next day, Judy and Nick accessed the cameras from the day of the rally and found one with a perfect view of the entrance. While looking through the footage, the Assassin came into view and stood across the street from the entrance.

"Time to see how he got in," Judy said.

They watched him look at the mammals going into the rally. The Assassin then set his sights on his target and made the approach.

"Stealing an invitation." Nick presumed. "Why am I not surprised?"

Judy and Nick watched him carefully close in without drawing attention. His paw was seen slowly reaching out as the Assassin got closer. Nick and Judy barely missed him swiping his paw and pick-pocketing the invitation. He walked a short distance away and quickly replaced his hood with a top hat.

"Is a hat really going to make a difference?" Nick said.

The Assassin approached the entrance and showed the invitation at the checkpoint. Seconds later, he entered the building.

"I don't believe this." He said in disbelief.

"It only works if no one sees you do it." Judy reminded. "Do you really find that hard to believe?"

"It's just that…how does no one see this occur?"

"We can ask him when we bring him in."

They changed cameras to the back entrance and fast forwarded until they saw the Assassin and themselves exiting the building.

"There he is," Nick said.

"Now to see where he goes," Judy said.

They tracked his movements through the cameras to the dead end alley and never saw the Assassin come out.

"That must be his base," Judy said

"Wait." Nick checked the surrounding cameras. In one footage of the alley, they saw him climbing onto the roof and then running across the rooftops. "Remember, he is a professional. The Assassin probably planned for that escape. He just needed to lose us first."

Before they continued, a knock came on their door. They opened to see Fangmeyer standing nearby.

"Fangmeyer, what is it?" Judy asked.

"Chief wants everyone to the bullpen for an urgent meeting. It's about the White Feather Killer case." The tigress answered.

Judy and Nick looked at each other and nodded.

"We'll be there," Nick responded.

Fangmeyer nodded and left for the meeting.

"What do you think it will be this time?" Nick asked.

"If I had to guess," Judy said. "It's a plan to draw out the Assassin now that he's proven to be hard to get."


	5. The Concert

Inside the bullpen, the atmosphere had returned to the normal rowdy behavior that had been recently absent, showing the officers' determination to stop the Assassin. Judy and Nick calmly sat in their seat and were not surprised to hear the Assassin being called a coward by their fellow officers for his methods. They could only sigh and refrain from voicing their objections.

"Atten-hut!"

Bogo entered and the officers became silent and gave him their undivided attention. The Chief stepped up to the podium and saw their renewed fire and determination. Though his outward expression didn't show it, he was happy to see that in them.

"I called this urgent meeting because Gazelle, a possible target, is holding a concert later this week as a sign of positive action. She has asked the ZPD to provide protection during the performance. We have already accepted her request because we are good mammals and do not wish harm upon Zootopia's pop star." His tone becoming serious near the end. "Her manager has provided us with the plans so we can properly prepare. Let's get to work."

The room erupted in excitement and continued as the officers were leaving.

"It seems our luck is changing for once," Nick said, keeping a calm expression but his wagging tail betrayed him.

But Judy bounced with energy, trying not to binky. "I know right! We need to start investigating all the mammals working for Gazelle."

"Hold the phone there, Fluff. We can't make our actions obvious. We don't want to alert Gazelle's potential assassin."

Judy managed to calm down from her excitement. "I know. We'll be careful in our search. Should we tell Gazelle?"

"Yes, she needs to be aware of this so she can be on the lookout also. I have no doubt she will cooperate."

"When do you want to tell her?"

"When she's alone. Can't have her assassin within earshot."

Like the rally, the concert would be held indoors. This one in a stadium. As per terms of the partnership, they reluctantly presented their plan to Depolitio. Naturally, the company refused to see them, clearly displaying the increasing division. Regardless, City Hall and the ZPD moved forward, spending the time leading up to the performance reviewing the plans and assigning officers and SWAT to every possible entry points.

To prevent another escape, a special unit was created with two roles: scent and speed. The speed unit consisted of the fastest and most agile officers. The scent unit consisted of officers with a strong sense of smell. One member of each unit would be paired up when the Assassin appears. Judy was assigned the speed unit and Nick, the scent unit. Naturally, they became the assigned pairs.

Because smoke was used in the previous escape, the ZPD will use gas masks to eliminate that factor. To prevent another surprise and from stretching their forces, an extra officer was assigned to protect the sniper teams and the police concentrated on the stage area.

Meanwhile, Judy and Nick had their own plans for the Assassin. Should they meet alone, the officers will approach peacefully and reveal their discoveries to him, hoping he would explain the motives behind the assassinations and cooperate. Should they end up arresting the Assassin, Judy and Nick will work to prevent any unfair treatment to avoid losing their chance of confirming their suspicions.

* * *

 

In her dressing room, Gazelle rehearsed the lyrics from her selection of songs and constantly reminded herself that the concert was for the benefit of Zootopia. Even if she was putting her life in danger. A knock on the door disrupted her thoughts.

"Come in."

The door opened and the singer was surprised to see Nick and Judy as her visitors.

"Officers, what brings you here?"

"Just checking up on you," Judy said. "How are you feeling?"

"A little nervous to be honest, but it's something I must do. Zootopia already went through this before, and I do not wish for this to continue any longer."

"We understand," Nick said. He paused for a moment before continuing. "Listen, there's a reason why we came here."

Gazelle became curious. "What is it?"

"Before we say anything else, do you trust us and promise not to tell anyone else, not even the ZPD?" Judy said.

The singer became concerned from the seriousness. Whatever Judy and Nick had to say must be important if it must remain a secret. "You two saved Zootopia before so I promise."

Nick checked to make sure that the door to the dressing room was locked and then took a deep breath before speaking. "We believe there is someone in your group who plans to kill you."

The information stunned Gazelle into silence. She slowly sat down in her chair with her hooves over her face as the information was almost too much for her.

Judy continued on with the conversation, "Gazelle, we looked into the mammals killed and noticed that you previously had contact with them. Do you remember?"

The singer slowly nodded her head, lowering her hooves to her chin. "Yes, but what does that have to do with someone wanting to kill me?"

"Because these mammals were also previously in contact with Lionheart," Nick said. "And look what happened."

Gazelle put the pieces together and came to the terrifying conclusion. "I don't believe this. Do you know who it could be?"

Nick shook his head, "No, but there is someone who does,"

The singer realized who he was referring to but immediately had doubts. "How can you be sure that I'm not the one?" She didn't have the same trust as Judy and Nick had for the Assassin.

"Because Lionheart would already be dead."

"We understand that this is hard for you, but it's the only way to know for sure." Judy reasoned.

"We thought about questioning everyone else but that would only draw suspicion and possibly scare your assassin away," Nick said.

Gazelle sighed but knew they were right. "This makes me want to take action, but I know I can't. What should we do?"

"I'm afraid we must carry on as normal and hope nothing happens to you," Judy said, disappointed with the lack of options. "We'll keep watch on you at all times before, during, and after the concert."

"If we're in luck our mammal will appear and eliminate your assassin before it happens," Nick assured.

Gazelle shook her head, displaying her reluctance. "This is not something I wish to be a part of, but if it's the only way to understand this mammal's motives, I will do it. If what you say is true, then I hope he does appear."

"Thank you for understanding, Gazelle," Judy said.

"And remember," Nick said. "If you suspect anything, let me and Hopps know immediately. We can't have the other officers getting carried away with the arrest."

Gazelle nodded, now more determined and confident. "I will."

* * *

 

On the day of the performance, it was a sellout crowd. But the ZPD and Gazelle's group knew it was the perfect opportunity for the Assassin to strike. Police officers and SWAT surrounded the stage area so that only her and her dancers were allowed inside. Gazelle began her performance with her hit Try Everything. From there, the concert carried on and finished as scheduled. No reports of the Assassin came in, but they remained on guard and vigilant.

When the concert ended, Gazelle's organization and the police waited until the audience cleared out of the stadium. The police force then surrounded Gazelle and her tiger dancers and cleared a path to the backstage. They arrived safely and allowed the entertainers to pack up. The equipment and clothing were moved first and then the entertainers. While the police escorted Gazelle and her tigers to their ride out back, Nick became alarmed when something tipped off his smell.

"Carrots, my nose is picking up a familiar scent with one of the dancers."

Judy became alarmed as her ears went stiff. "What do you want to do?"

As they neared the back exit, the tiger dancers moved ahead in front of Gazelle to allow the police to defend the rear. Just before leaving the doors, Judy broke through with her tranquilizer drawn and aimed at the tigers.

"Stop right there! You're under arrest!"

The others were stunned at her action.

"Hopps, what are you doing?!" Bogo yelled, shocked and enraged at such accusation.

"I know you'll have a hard time believing me Chief," She then pointed to one of the dancers. "But that tiger is going to kill Gazelle!"

They looked back and forth at each other with anger and disbelief.

"That's absurd! Stop this nonsense!" Bogo yelled.

"Tell that to Officer Wilde who found a blade on the dancer."

The rest looked to see Nick standing next to the dancer. The fox reached out to the tiger and pulled out a blade from the dancer.

Gazelle felt overcome with betrayal as one of her own was the last mammal she expected. "It's you?! How could you?! Why would you want to do such a thing?!"

Caught, the dancer quickly wrestled the blade from Nick and took Gazelle hostage. The ZPD and SWAT immediately moved into position and aimed their weapons at the tiger. The dancer held the blade against Gazelle's neck as he backed towards the exit.

"Make any wrong move and it will be the end of Zootopia's pop star's career!" The dancer warned.

Clawhauser was filled with rage at her idol being threatened. "If you make any mark on her, I swear!"

"You won't do anything!" The dancer interrupted. "You're going to let me go and not come after me."

"We will find you even if you escape!" Judy yelled.

"The entire area is surrounded so good luck trying to get through!" Nick warned.

"Your numbers don't matter," The tiger refuted. "Once I disappear, you won't ever find me again, and that's a promise."

Gazelle was doing everything to not panic, "Please, don't do this. Think of the consequences."

"Quiet! Keep moving!"

Gazelle looked at Judy and Nick and the latter gave a slight nod. She understood what she must do and motioned the other officers to keep their distance. The ZPD and SWAT carefully followed the tiger as he backed away to the exit while restraining Gazelle and holding a blade to her neck. If they fired, the tiger would still have time to kill Gazelle so they had to wait.

"Once we arrest you, there will be justice to pay for your actions!" Bogo yelled.

"We know you're the White Feather Killer who's been terrorizing all of Zootopia!" Clawhauser cried.

The tiger laughed at their accusations. "I'm afraid you got the wrong mammal here. I'm not the responsible for all those murders."

"Impossible!" Bogo yelled, furious yet confused over the tiger's words. "Then who are you?!"

The tiger shot an infuriating smirk. "Have to catch me to know, but you won't get the chance."

Gazelle continued to distract the tiger and buy time for the Assassin. "You didn't have to take me hostage. You could have fled instead. Now you will pay for your actions. You will not escape!"

"You're not in the position to make any threats."

The hostage situation continued as the police force formulated a plan to rescue Gazelle and take down the tiger. Unfortunately, they were quickly running out of time as the tiger reached the doors and forced them open with his back. The entire group was met with flashing lights and loud screams as fans waiting for them caught witness to the hostage scene. The tiger took advantage of the distraction to move to the parked vehicle.

While reaching for the door with one arm, the tiger suddenly gasped and became rigid. He released Gazelle who quickly ran to safety and was protected by Bogo and Clawhauser. Their sights quickly shifted back to the dancer. They and everyone else watched the tiger stand motionless and drop the blade. He looked down at his belly and saw a growing blood spot. The tiger fell to the ground revealing the Assassin sitting in the vehicle with the hidden blade activated, having lowered the window to make the kill.

* * *

 

The Assassin stared at the tiger with his arms crossed. "Was this to draw me out or we're you really going to kill Gazelle?"

The feline grunted in pain. "Both, she sealed her fate when refused to cooperate with us."

"If you paid any attention to her interviews, you would know that your vision for Zootopia is not the Zootopia she wants."

"She would have understood had she let us explained further."

The Assassin shook his head. "Why even explain your intentions if you end up eliminating the mammal for refusing?"

"We're not foolish enough to reveal everything from the start. We start small and continue if they have interest."

"It's your methods she disagrees with, not the goals."

"And you think she agrees with yours?"

"No, but my explanation will convince her."

The tiger chuckled. "Do you really think what you do is any different from us? We both eliminate those deemed a threat and want the same thing."

"It does little to change our methods."

"Of course you say that. Regardless of the outcome, the purpose was to paint you in a bad image. You're marked for death now and there's nothing you can do about it." The tiger exhaled for the last time.

The Assassin calmly stained a white feather with his blood.

* * *

 

"Stop him now before he escapes!" Bogo ordered.

The Assassin threw smoke bombs and fled.

"Gas masks on now!" Bogo commanded.

The police quickly put on their gas masks and pursued the Assassin. They come outside to see it dark and raining. The dispersing fans and getting Gazelle and her remaining tigers into the vehicle took precious time away. Police helicopters were immediately notified and tracked the Assassin's location. The lights shined down on the Assassin who was currently fighting three officers near the police barricade.

The Assassin pounced on and knocked the first officer out with a punch to the face. Seeing the second charging in, he looked down to see a taser on the utility belt and drew it. The Assassin fired the taser and brought down the second officer. Noticing the third moving in, he rushed to the second and looted the first weapon he touched, a tranquilizer. The Assassin fired and brought the third officer down. With the immediate threat cleared, he threw more smoke bombs and broke through the police barrier before reinforcements arrived and saw the carnage left behind.

"Everyone, get with your partner and find him!" Bogo ordered.

The speed and scent units quickly mobilized in their assigned pairs and pursued the Assassin. With the amount of distance the Assassin must have put between them, the police were forced to rely on the police helicopters and eyewitnesses to point in the direction. Having seen the footage, Judy and Nick knew of the Assassin's plan.

"He's using the roofs to escape the police," Judy said. "We have to intercept him there."

"But which one? He could go to any of the roofs in his path."

"To catch an Assassin, we have to think like one."

"Okay, how do we do that?"

"Stay low, keep watch, and listen." She turned off the sirens and turned up the police radio.

Listening in on the updates, the two drove ahead of the path. They soon received word that the helicopters lost sight of the Assassin and reported the last known location. Judy and Nick drove and stopped at the outer perimeter. From there, they patrolled the area at cruising speed while keeping watch for the Assassin. From the rear view mirrors, Nick caught a glimpse of a hooded figure walking in the opposite direction. The headlights shined on the figure and it was enough for Nick to recognized the Assassin from the attire.

"Got you."

"Where is he?" Judy asked, searching their surroundings.

"Behind us, but we'll lose him again in our cruiser."

Judy carefully slowed down the vehicle. "Then what do we do?"

"We use his escape plan against him."

They parked the cruiser nearby out of sight and followed the Assassin on foot. The darkness covered for their movements but made it harder for them to track the Assassin. Judy and Nick came across a fire escape in an alley next to them. The two nodded and hurried to the fire escape, barely keeping quiet with their movements. Judy and Nick climbed to the top of the fire escape and discovered ladder above them locked.

"Give me a lift so I can extend the ladder," Judy whispered.

Nick lifted her and she jumped for the ladder. The bunny succeeded and climbed onto the roof. There, she lowered the ladder for Nick to climb. On the roof, they went to the edge and looked down.

"Is the Assassin still there?" Judy asked.

Using his night vision, Nick located him next to their building. "Yes. Call it in."

Judy turned on her radio. "This is Officer Hopps with Officer Wilde. We have located the mammal and he is on the move. Request back up to our location." She relayed their location to the other officers.

Moments later, cruisers and helicopters closed in on the area. Nick and Judy watched for the Assassin's response and just as they hoped, he started climbing their building. Judy and Nick got ready and confronted the Assassin once in view.

"You're not safe here!" Judy yelled, her voice muffled from the mask.

The Assassin turned to see them on the rooftop with him.

"Don't think you're the only one who can use the rooftops!" Nick yelled.

The Assassin immediately threw a smoke bomb and fled.

Judy and Nick quickly slipped on their gas masks and pursued while relaying their locations so the others can intercept. The Assassin's display of speed and agility shocked the two. They wondered where he learned the skills but pushed those thoughts aside. The Assassin tried to lose them with smoke bombs, but upon seeing their gas masks, he soon abandoned that tactic.

Seeing that smoke is no longer a problem, Nick and Judy removed their gas masks. The chase led to higher buildings, forcing them to climb up the next. Up ahead, the Assassin saw a long jump to the next building. The Assassin broke into a full sprint and leaped off the edge. Propelling forward in the air with his arms and legs, he safely made the jump. Judy and Nick saw the display and did the same, but they barely managed to grab the ledge. Their exhaustion from the chase was beginning to show. While pulling themselves up, Judy suddenly lost her grip and started falling when the brick she was grabbing loosened.

"Carrots!" Nick swiftly grabbed her but the sudden added weight caused him to lose grip as well.

"You're slipping!" Judy yelled.

"Hold on! I can get us up!"

As Nick lifted Judy to where she can grab the building, they heard the sounds of footsteps approaching. They looked up and were surprised to see the Assassin looming over them.

Fear overwhelmed the officers from knowing that this was the end and they began to wonder how it will happen. Neither of them wanted their careers to end like this, but they knew dying on the job was a risk that came with being an officer. Judy had radioed in their current location earlier, but the ETA received was not encouraging.

The Assassin kneeled down and brought his arm forward, grabbing the fox's arm. Nick and Judy closed their eyes, expecting the end to be swift. In that moment, they felt happy for their time spent together and took great satisfaction in going out together.

Instead of feeling gravity, the officers felt themselves being pulled up. They opened their eyes in surprise and shock to see the Assassin pulling them onto the roof. The unexpected outcome had Judy and Nick reeling when seeing the Assassin walking to the opposite ledge brought them back.

"Wait! Don't go!" Judy cried.

The Assassin stopped at the edge, giving them the opportunity to approach him.

"We know about the victims," Judy said. "The information in their files aren't complete."

"If you come with us, we promise to hear your explanation." Nick pleaded.

The Assassin remained silent, still facing away at the ledge.

"We want to know why you are killing these mammals," Judy continued. "But we also know there's more to it and are willing to help," She hoped it was enough to convince him despite knowing well they were permitting murder under their watch.

"Think about it," Nick proposed. "We both have information that will help piece the puzzle together. You can prove your innocence and we'll protect you."

Bogo's voice on the police radio suddenly interrupted the conversation. "Hopps, Wilde, we're at your location. What's your status?"

Nick and Judy had hoped for more time, but since the police announced their presence, the Assassin would be fleeing any moment now.

"I'll see you soon." The Assassin spread his arms out and leaped off the building. Shocked at such act, Judy and Nick dashed to the edge and managed to catch a glimpse of him disappearing below.

"How in the world can he do that?" Judy asked, knowing that he had survived but wondering how from such a fall.

"From my hustler days, no one I've seen can survive a jump like that. I don't know how that is possible," Nick said.

"Judging from his words, I think he wants more than just the ZPD's information."

"I have the same feeling, Carrots. He knows that an officer is working with these mammals."

"Chief Bogo is not going to like this."

"And I doubt he will believe the Assassin saved our lives."

"I think we should keep those details a secret," Judy revealed her carrot pen. "At least we recorded his words."

"And the evidence too," Nick revealed two plastic bags containing the blade and the note from the tiger dancer.

* * *

 

"What do you mean he just disappeared?" Bogo yelled, outraged and in disbelief that the Assassin would just disappear.

"Sir, we don't know how to explain it," Judy said. "One moment, he was standing at the edge and speaking to us. Then he just jumped off the building."

The last sentence reminded Bogo of something, "Now that you mentioned it, we did see a figure falling from the building at your location. We can assume it was our mammal. I sent officers to scout where he might have landed, but they reported nothing. I think it's safe to assume this mammal will no longer be a problem."

"I wouldn't say that just yet," Nick said.

"What do you mean?" Bogo said, curious at his words.

"Listen to this." Judy pulled out her carrot pen and played the recording.

Bogo's eyes immediately widened. "Are you saying that he'll target the ZPD next?"

"It happened with Lionheart and Gazelle, especially with how he appears and disappears," Nick said.

Bogo realized how true those words were and the consequences if word got out that the Assassin successfully infiltrated the ZPD and killed his target. "I won't take that chance!"

* * *

 

In the aftermath of the political rally and Gazelle's concert, the citizens became divided over the motives of the Assassin because of their unexpected outcomes. When asked, Lionheart refused to comment while Gazelle gave a conflicted answer.

"The terror caused by this mammal must not go unpunished. Zootopia does not deserve to live in such fear. But it doesn't change what he did for me. He saved my life and I believe the life of Mayor Lionheart as well. For that, I am forever grateful. If there is a reason for why these murders occurred and why Lionheart and I were targeted, then this mammal will have the answers." She then faced the screen to speak to the audience. "If you are out there watching this, I implore you to come forward so we may know your reasons."


End file.
